Sakata nearing a milestone

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33527, 7 May 1974, Page 28

Sakata nearing a milestone

Yoshihiro Sakata, the nimble Japanese left wing, may reach a personal milestone of 50 tries on New Zealand soil during the touring team’s game against the combined Canterbury-Lincoln universities’ XV at Rugby Park today.

Sakata, aged 32, is one of the few players in Rugby to have scored more tries than games played in this country. In 41 appearances since 1966 he has scored 48 tries, many of them in Christchurch, where he played for the University A team in 1969.

His performance this afternoon will depend largely on his fitness. He had treatment yesterday for a strained hamstring, hut is optimistic about taking the field. FITNESS MAY TELL

With two wins, a draw and a loss behind them on their tour, the Japanese are approaching the match in a buoyant frame of mind; but no-one could accuse them of over-confidence.

They went about their training yesterday with discipline and determination. Although they will be inconvenienced by lack of height and weight, their fitness and quick reflexes should bring them another win.

The Japanese forwards average only sft 10|in and 12st 91b, and will be dwarfed by the university forwards, one of whom, B. Hays, is 18st.

Many of the university forwards are nursing bruises and cuts after a hard interclub game against Christchurch last Saturday, but the side says it intends to meet the Japanese half-way in making the match an entertaining spectacle.

The Universities’ XV has lively loose-forwards, an inform first five-eighths, K. J. Jennings, and a potent midfield combination in R. Gard and D. Faulkner. But the Japanese are tenacious tacklers and slick passers, and although the forwards are unlikely to obtain a halfshare of possession, their backs have a reputation for making the most of their opportunities.

The four tour games have produced 14 tries for the Japanese, and more are in prospect today with two strong, straight runners, A. Yokoi and M. Yoshida, teamed in the centres and T. Itoh, normally a wing, attacking from full-back. H. Shukuzawza, the halfback, is a fine attacking runner, and Y. Murata and Y. Izawa are sharp loose forwards.

Most of the Japanese moves, however, are built round set play; they are compact scrummagers and employ the short line-out to good effect. But they will be at a disadvantage in secondphase play. The University pack excels at driving and should give the backs some quickly-rucked ball.