Junior All Blacks end campaign unbeaten

Cameron McIntyre converts a try. Antony Lyon / Getty Images

Junior All Blacks 38 Japan 8

A hat-trick to wing Anthony Tuitavake saw the Junior All Blacks quell a combative Japanese outfit, winning their Pacific Five Nations rugby match 38-8 in Dunedin today.

The Junior All Blacks secured the inaugural Pacific Five Nations title last week, and finished the tournament unbeaten after four matches with Tuitavake leading the charge. Veteran Caleb Ralph bagged two tries.

The Blues centre was shifted to the wing for today's match and responded in style, grabbing a brace in the first half as the Junior All Blacks overcame an industrious Japan.

The visitors were competitive from the outset, leading the Junior All Blacks for the opening 20 minutes courtesy of a Wataru Ikeda penalty until Tuitavake crossed for his first try.

With Japan, led strongly by New Zealand-born flanker Philip O'Reilly, competing well at the breakdown, a flat Junior All Blacks saw their possession spoilt early in the match.

Co-coaches Colin Cooper and Ian Foster made eight personnel changes to the 15 that started the 38-10 defeat of Tonga in New Plymouth last weekend, and that approach seemed to have backfired early as passes were pushed and the forwards were out-hustled at ruck time.

But when they eventually clicked into gear, their superior backline proved crucial as they executed their plays well.

All six of their tries were scored by the backs, with Tuitavake the main beneficiary from some slick moves off set pieces.

It was arguably Japan's best effort in the tournament to date after being hammered 57-16 and 53-9 by Tonga and Samoa respectively.

They conclude their campaign against Fiji in Osaka next week.

Junior All Blacks captain Corey Flynn said the rapid form of rugby played by the Japanese meant it took time for them to adjust.

"We're so used to the clinical form of rugby in New Zealand and they bring out a helter skelter (approach). They just fly at you and it's very hard to combat."

Even leading 19-3 at halftime, Flynn said they knew their performance had been below-par.

"We were trying a lot of things and they just weren't coming off. It was just simple errors.

"We weren't holding the ball, we didn't respect the Japanese enough and they stole some really good ball

"We realised after that first 40 (minutes) we had to (muscle up)."

Tuitavake finally set the Junior All Blacks in motion in the 21st minute when he crossed following a darting run from halfback Jamie Nutbrown.

Eleven minutes later, he scored his second after Japan lost possession and Tuitavake strolled over untouched.

Ralph dotted down for his first try just before halftime after Japan again lacked defenders out wide as he finished a sweeping movement.

The halftime lead was quickly inflated after the break when Ralph struck again brushing off three tacklers to score.

Tuitavake bagged his hat-trick in the 52nd minute from a well-worked scrum move in Japan's 22, with decoy runners paving the way for him to score under the crossbar.

Second five-eighth Cameron McIntyre carved through the midfield in the 63rd minute, but Japan's endeavour was rewarded with a try minutes later when fullback Takashi Miyake latched onto a high ball which the Junior All Blacks failed to contain.

Junior All Blacks 38 (Anthony Tuitavake 3, Caleb Ralph 2, Cameron McIntyre tries, Cameron McIntyre 4 con)
Japan 8 (Takashi Miyake try; Wataru Ikeda pen).
HT: 19-3.

- NZPA