Japan rack up 100 pointer against Kazakhstan

Asian champions Japan scored 15 tries to overwhelm Kazakhstan 101-7 on Saturday for their third straight win in the Asian Five Nations rugby tournament.

Hooker Shota Horie opened the scoring with an unconverted try in the second minute, with left flanker Sione Vatuvei adding another four minutes later.

Vatuvei, left winger Yasunori Nagatomo, substitute Alisi Tupuailei, right centre Koji Taira and fullback Goshi Tachikawa all scored two tries each, while four more Japanese players scored one each.

Stand-off Shaun Webb scored 11 conversions and one try, while substitute stand-off James Arlidge scored two conversions.

Trailing 26-0 after 20 minutes in the first half, Kazakhstan pulled one try back through hooker Mikhail Solovyev with fullback Maxim Lifontov converting to make it 26-7, but that completed the scoring for the visitors.

Kazakhstan have now one win and two defeats in the current Asian Five Nations tournament.

On Friday, Gulf edged past South Korea 21-19 for a 2-2 win-loss record, leaving the Koreans with three straight defeats. Hong Kong, the fifth nation in the tournament, have a bye this weekend.

The tournament’s winner will qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with the runner-up going into a play-off with Uruguay, for a home-and-away contest against a side from either Europe or Africa for another World Cup berth.

Final Score Japan 101 Kazakhstan 7

Scorers

Kazakhstan
Try: Solovyev. Conversion: Lifontov.