Juniors overwhelm Japan

Junior All Blacks 38 Japan 8

If it weren't for restrictive genetics, Japan would be ensconced at world rugby's top table.

The Japanese were technically excellent at Carisbrook yesterday, full of passion and capable of playing the game at a pace no Northern Hemisphere side could live with.

However, modern rugby is the domain of the power-based athlete and poor old Japan have locks who need to stand on a stack of phone books to compete at the lineout and props who need to be eating a bucket of chips with their sushi if they ever want to hold a scrum steady.

Japan's lack of bulk and height made for an inevitable mismatch, although it took the Junior All Blacks a whole half to wear down the brave resistance.

That it took so long suggests the Junior forwards missed their chance to make one last push for elevation into the All Black Tri Nations squad.

Corey Flynn has had a stellar campaign but he needed to be more prominent as skipper in the first half and redirect his forwards to the coalface. He also needed his experienced lieutenant Steven Bates to be hammering the same line instead of splitting his time between seagulling and flinging hopeful passes.

The All Black selectors would have been more impressed had they seen individuals respecting the need to create a platform. They know No 8 Nick Williams can cause havoc when given space. They need to see him graft for his yards, which he was given little chance to do with team-mates hellbent on playing sevens.

Anthony Tuitavake would have been equally frustrated, despite a hat-trick. The 23-year-old merely confirmed his finishing power when he would have loved the chance to start at centre, instead of wing, and show there is more to his game than straight running.

So, despite winning the inaugural Pacific Five Nations, the Juniors will head back to their respective provinces knowing that only Flynn, Tamati Ellison and Williams did enough over the campaign to feel their names might occasionally crop up when Graham Henry and his chums bandy future options.

Coach Colin Cooper reckons there may be a few more but, whatever the number, he declared himself chuffed with the way his side developed.

"We saw this campaign being about giving individuals opportunity but we also wanted to win," he said. "We maybe got caught out today trying to give players opportunity but I think it has been great for the All Black selectors to see how much depth there is in New Zealand.

"There are 12 players who played for us last year who are in the 39 that the All Blacks used and there are probably six from this group who could easily slip into a black jersey.

"New Zealand has a role to play in supporting the game, so not only has it been an opportunity for some of our guys to step up and say they are still in the hunt for a black jersey, it has enabled the other teams to come up another level."

Cooper said that he and fellow coach Ian Foster expect to have a debrief with the All Black selectors before the Tri Nations squad is named on Tuesday.

It would be a major surprise, barring injury, if any of the Juniors are asked to step up this time. But there are certainly a few who should stand by their phone next year.

Junior All Blacks 38 (A. Tuitavake (3), C. Ralph (2), C. McIntyre tries; C. McIntyre 2 cons)
Japan 8 (T. Miyake try; W. Ikeda pen)