Japanese win

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 6

Japanese win

A very fast anti heavy All-Japan secondaryr schools rugby team thrashed a MidCanterbury schools XV 52-0 in a bright match at the Ashburton College grounds yesterday. ■: The touring team jeame to Ashburton with a series of big wins behind it, and the local players took tfeie field concious of the aidlity of their opposition. A big crowd s;aw.. the Japanese score twelve" exciting tries and dominate all phases of play. <1 The locals begatai very strongly, but their fervour of the first 10 minutees subsided under pressure "from a team whose players were on average two years older. Strong running fipm the

Japanese backline was a fea< ture, and the quick passing was a feature any of the local senior clubs should want to emulate.

A star for the tourists was stocky winger Takeshi Ikeda, who ran in at least four tries. The captain, Hideo Kobayashi, led a disciplined team, but his goal-kicking was out of form. He landed only two conversions. . , Mid-Canterbury comprised players from the College a n “ Methven High School first XVs. They tried hard, but; suffered a loss when them captain, lan Lattimore, letj the field during the first haff with concussion. , ! The half-time score 12-0. '