Super Rugby Pacific’s Blues strolled past Suntory Sungoliath 43-7 in the inaugural Cross Border Rugby game at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.
The new two-week Cross Border Rugby series, a product of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Japan Rugby Football Union and the New Zealand Rugby Union, features last season’s four division one play-off sides from Japan and the visiting Blues and Chiefs.
Hosts Suntory made 10 changes to the team that beat Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars in their last League One game with only full-back Kotaro Matsushima, inside-centre Shogo Nakano, outside-centre Taiga Ozaka, scrum-half Naoto Saito and lock Harry Hockings retaining their places.
The Japanese club, who sit third in the country's premier tier with five wins from six games, also rested Springboks star Cheslin Kobe, who was home in South Africa, and All Blacks captain Sam Cane who watched from the stands.
Argentine stalwart Nicolás Sánchez made his first-team debut for Suntory after joining to replace the injured Gareth Anscombe whose registration was cancelled.
Auckland-based Blues brought a full strength squad for their pre-season tour but elected to save All Blacks Finlay Christie, Caleb Clarke, Akira Ioane, Rieko Ioane, last season’s Blues captain Dalton Papalii and Mark Telea for more vigorous tests.
The Vern Cotter era started with a comprehensive victory for the visitors who were led by new captain Patrick Tuipulotu who played in Japan for Toyota Verblitz in the inaugural League One season.
Despite playing in their first pre-season game, Cotter’s charges looked fitter than their opponents and exposed Suntory’s laboured defence at will.
Lock Sam Darry opened the scoring after three minutes before hooker Kurt Eklund and wing Caleb Tangitau went over to put the New Zealand side in command.
Japanese livewire Matsushima lifted the hopes of the home crowd when he touched down in front of the posts before the break.
Replacement scrum-half Taufa Funaki crossed before youngster Tangitau, who won bronze with his country's sevens team at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, scored his second try.
Wing Kade Banks and full-back Cole Forbes added to Suntory’s misery with a try apiece as back-up fly-half Lucas Cashmore converted both scores.
The Blues have since announced that captain Patrick Tuipulotu suffered a fractured jaw in the first half and will immediately return home to New Zealand for surgery.
Tuipulotu, who has 43 All Blacks Test caps, will now miss the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season and is expected to be on the sidelines for eight to 10 weeks.
Blues boss Cotter said a decision on who will lead the side in Tuipulotu’s absence will be made in the coming days with last season’s captain Dalton Papalii the most likely candidate.
Cross Border Rugby’s final round of fixtures sees the Blues take on the Yokohama Canon Eagles at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in Kanagawa on Saturday.
Line-ups:
Blues: Forbes, Tangitau, Evans, Gordon, Banks, Perofeta, Nock, Sotutu, Segner, Choat, Darry, Tuipulotu (captain), Ta’avao, Eklund, Fusitu’a
Replacements: Riccitelli, Vikena, Lay, Renata, Sheck, McWhannell, Beehre, Thompson, Funaki, Cashmore, Harford
Suntory Sungoliath: Matsushima, Niguma, T Ozaki, Nakano, Emi, Sánchez, Saito, Ioane, Oketani, Jeffries, Hockings, Lavemai, Khun, Go, Morikawa
Replacements: Kawase, Punivai, Hashimoto, Hosea, Iino, Moriya, Takamoto, Nagare, Shimokawa, MacDonald, Oga, Kobayashi, Miyazaki
Pictures courtesy of the Blues and Suntory Sungoliath
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