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Alun Wyn Jones receives the 1888 Cup from Jason Leonard, but it’s notable that he lifts it with only his right hand. His left arm is tucked in to his body, with his hand in his pocket.
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Dan Biggar is the player of the match
“We’re pleased with the result. The second half was a bit of a slog – we made a lot of errors and didn’t help ourselves with our discipline – but we played some really good rugby in the first half hour and hopefully we can build on that over the next few weeks.
“We knew Japan would want a fast, unstructured game so we just tried to do the basics right and keep things nice and simple. Everything seemed to click and we won a lot of collisions; it was a really good start and it was just great to play in front of a crowd. It was awesome.”
A decent workout for the Lions ends with an ultimately comfortable victory.
Full-time! Lions 28 - 10 Japan.
80 mins. the last play of the match is a Lions lineout, won off the top and the chance to end the game is spurned as the home team decide for more phases.
I fail to see the point of this, especially when the ball is lost and Japan are back on the attack.
But they can do nothing and the ball is finally in touch and the game is over.
79 mins. Nakamura spills the ball off the next possession which Biggar gleefully boots away but Japan come back once more via Matsushima who is nearly away before van der Merwe runs the perfect covering angle to slow him and make the tackle.
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77 mins. Fifita has a carry short from the scrum and the Lions are offside in defence which allows Tamura to spray a cross-kick on the advantage in the direction of Matsushima... but Watson gets to it first.
Japan take another scrum. And why not?
75 mins. Matsushima takes the long over the top throw from the Japan lineout. He gains 5 metres the Brave Blossoms waste no time of firing it left through hands to Fifita, but Beirne does enough to hold it up over the line.
Japan scrum-five coming.
73 mins. A big carry from Fifita drives Japan into the Lions half before Tatafa takes it even further be bouncing Dan Biggar out of the way. Lions are offside again and Japan have another lineout in the opposition 22.
70 mins. The Lions have some ball for the first time in a while and use it to break up the left through some decent offloading via Lawes, new scrum-half Ali Price and Jamie George. This takes the men in red into the Japan half but the ball is fumbled forward.
Jack Conan has taken a knock, but Gatland has no subs left so it’ll be ten minutes with 14 men for the Lions.
PENALTY! Lions 28 - 10 Japan (Yu Tamura)
68 mins. Tamura makes no mistake with this one.
67 mins. Japan on the ball and on the attack in the Lions half again. This looks increasingly like a defensive overloading drill for the home team, which could be useful in the tour long run. Lawes is caught offside in the tackle line and it’s a Japan penalty.
MISSED PENALTY! Lions 28 - Japan (Yu Tamura)
65 mins. Tamura pulls one left from 35 metres out.
While that was going on, Anthony Watson replaces Williams at fullback.
62 mins. Japan have used the bench to freshen up a bit and are coming back into this slowly. It won’t be enough but the Lions have lost some intensity and concentration with the personnel changes and will want to get a grip for the last quarter.
TRY! Lions 28 - 7 Japan (Kazuki Himeno)
60 mins. Japan win their linout deep in Lions territory. They dummy a maul set up and execute a peel ball that finds the sleep deprived and jet-lagged Himeno who, wouldn’t you know it, crashes over from short to score.
Yu Tamura converts.
57 mins. A Japan attack comes to a shuddering halt with Josh Adams absolutely flattening Tamura with huge, legal hit which allows the Lions to clear. But the visitors will run it straight back and win a penalty after George doesn’t roll away in the tackle.
55 mins. More substitutions:
Jamie George replaces Ken Owens
Owen Farrell for Bundee Aki
54 mins. Following his try Beirne has gone full-baller mode, tuning up on the left wing a few mins ago and now kicking the ball, Biggar style for van der Merwe to chase. It comes to nothing, but you love to see it from a forward.
52 mins. Yamanaka has a break on the left touchline. He chips the ball and chases but he’s beaten to it by Williams in the Lions in-goal area.
SUBS
Sutherland and Furlong off for the Lions, replaced by Kyle Sinckler and Wyn Jones.
TRY! Lions 28 - 0 Japan (Tadhg Beirne)
50 mins. There’s no respite for the Japanese defence as the home team come back at them once more. There are some probing carries inside the Japan half before a miss-two pass from Biggar finds Beirne on a lovely angle in midfield to break the line and meep-meep his way to the line, Road Runner style.
Some pace from the the backrow there.
Biggar converts.
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47 mins. There was a penalty advantage being played and the Lions drive forward from the resulting penalty via a huge carry from Furlong up to the Japan 5m line. The ball is recycled to Lawes who is over the line, but on a TMO check he didn’t control the grounding.
Knock-on, no try!
46 min. A clever chip over from Biggar is chased under the posts by Williams and he’s this close to scoring but the ball is knocked forward as he can’t quite reach the ball with both hands
45 mins. Japan decide to go wide from first phase from a scrum deep in their own 22. Yes, really. Inevitably, Fifita out wide is isolated and Aki clamps on to win a Lions penalty.
43 mins. Lawes grasps a lineout ball from the air and sets up the platform of the Lions to attack the Japan 22 again. It’s looking solid and ominous before Liam Willams fumbles it forward in the tackle.
The Lions fullback has a bit of treatment as Nakamura caught his face with his forearm, completely accidentally and when Williams was a lng way down towards the floor.
Japan have a tricky scrum to navigate in their own 22.
Second half!
40 mins. Dan Biggar gets us back underway with a deep kick.
A solid first half from the Lions against an admittedly poor Japan gives Gatland a solid start.
The Lions look solid in attack with some sensible and pacy patterns being run, facilitated by some quick ruck ball which is a good early sign. The defence looks competent, but again with the caveat that Japan are offering very little in the way of a stern test thus far.
Injuries to Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric will give coaches and fans no small amount of worry. Alun Wyn in particular looked serious.
Half-time. Lions 21 - 0 Japan
40+3 mins. The ball is scrappy from the lineout but Fifita cleans it up and on the next phase the ball goes all the way right to Matsushima but he’s well marshalled by van der Merwe and Henshaw. But it’s yet another penalty for the Lions infringing.
Japan tap and go, but nothing comes from it and a knock on ends the half.
40 mins. Japan win the ball from the set-piece and Conan is penalised for not releasing, so there will be one final attack from Japan as Tamura finds touch for a five metre lineout.
38 mins. Japan finally have a solid scrum but they are sensible enough to get it out quick and an OUTRAGEOUS step from Matsushima leaves Murray for dead in midfield and sets the Japanese winger away in behind. For moment it looks like he might go all the way, but he checks his run and his attempted offload is knocked forward of a Lion arm.
Japan will have the last attack of the half from a scrum on the Lions 22.
36 mins. Each time the Lions enter the Japanese 22 a try is palpable and it very nearly happens again but for an offload from van der Merwe going just behind Williams.
Labuschagne wins a turnover to relieve the pressure for Japan.
33 mins. The Lions pack is very much on top and the Japan pack crumples again under pressure from Furlong and Sutherland. This could be a long day for the visitors in the set-piece.
31 mins. More possession from Japan around halfway and it’s a bit better as it at least forces the Lions back a few metres before a tricky grubber kick is awkwardly fielded by Williams. However, he does enough to secure it and Japan knock on when the ball next goes loose.
28 mins. Dan Biggar is not the captain, but he is playing like he’s taken that responsibility; barking orders, running the attack, dictating field position, leading the tackle line. He’s imperious so far.
27 mins. Japan have a lineout in the Lions 22 and a scrappy throw from Sakate is both over his man and not straight - quite the cocktail.
Japan have offered very little so far in terms of penetration and composure. This is confirmed when they are penalised at the next scrum.
TRY! Lions 21 - 0 Japan (Robbie Henshaw)
24 mins. Iain Henderson wins a clean lineout in the Japan 22 and a rolling maul is setup before Murray demands it early to feed the ball to Robbie Henshaw who booms over the line off a pulverising short run.
Biggar creams the conversion over, as per.
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21 mins. Japan enjoy a solid period of possession around halfway, but it’s well contained by the Lions defence and in frustrated confusion there’s a crossing offence which gives Biggar another opportunity to put his team back in the Japan 22.
Justin Tipuric is leaving the field now, replaced by Taulupe Faletau. That injury looks to have been caused by a very suspect clearout by Michael Leitch, but the ref is not interested in reviewing.
TRY! Lions 14 - 0 Japan (Duhan van der Merwe)
18 mins. The Lions put the ball through multiple phases for the first time with lots of carries from short passes from the ruck. After a bit of that a huge looping pass left finds van der Merwe who punches forward and the ball is recycled quickly again and comes all the way right for van der Merwe, after covering huge amount of ground in back-play, to pick up from the ruck and run into the right corner.
Biggar again converts.
That was a poor ruck defence from Japan, but credit to the Lions for working them left and right.
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15 mins. Biggar very nearly ruins the good work my allowing Atsushi Sakate to charge down his clearing kick from the restart, but the stand-off recovers the ball to clear.
TRY! Lions 7 - 0 Japan (Josh Adams)
13 mins. Off the lineout a rampaging out to in crash ball run from Aki smashes the Lions into the Japanese 22. The ball is rapidly recycled and fed right to Adams who steps in a small space to finish in the corner for his first Lions try.
Biggar adds the extras from way out right. What a kick.
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11 mins. Japan infringe on halfway and a quick tap from Biggar looks to have set Murray away before Ref Guazere calls them back for not tapping on the correct mark.
9 mins. Ken Owens is the new on-field Captain and his first job is to lead his defence as Japan probe the Lions 22 with a busy attack, but it’s brought to an end when Jack Conan executes a choke tackle to win a scrum for his team.
Biggar clears to touch when the ball is won.
7 mins. In a ruck, Captain Alun Wyn Jones plays for the ball, but the Japanese clearout catches his arm awkwardly and it looks pretty bad. He’s led from the field with his left arm immobile while he regretfully shakes his head. Oh dear.
Courtney Lawes replaces him.
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6 mins. First proper attacking platform for Lions with a lineout inside the Japan 22 sees Beirne claim it under pressure. The ball is slow to come out but when it does there are some solid carries around the corner from the Lions forwards before an isolated run from Murray allows Japan to clamp on, win a ruck penalty and clear upfield
3 mins. Tipuric claims the first Lions lineout safely and a tidy setup allows Murray to kick deep from the base of ruck. This allows Japan to run it back and the ball is worked right to the electric Matsushima who is nearly away outside van der Merwe before the Lions defence bundle him into touch.
Not sure kicking long to the arms of this Japan team is a very good idea.
Kick Off!
1 min. Tamura sends the ball away from his boot and the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour has actually begun!
The teams are on their way out of the tunnel and the crowd look plenty giddy at what’s about to unfold.
Let’s not forget, Japan have never played the Lions before so this is quite the milestone for them as a rugby nation
Robin Hazlehurst has emailed and he’s fully on the hype train.
“Very excited, just getting to the pub. Should be at the ground, had tickets for it and was prepared to do quarantine and whatever, but they got cancelled. Very disappointing but the main thing is that the match and tour are going ahead and for that alone I’m just being excited out of principle. It’s the Lions and it’s actually happening, even if I can’t be there.”
Excited out of the principle is the best kind of emotion.
Sir Ian McGeechan, patron saint of the British & Irish Lions, is on the tellybox and because he’s in Lions mode his accent is very much at the Caledonian end of his Scotland-Yorkshire accent spectrum.
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Pre-match reading.
Gatland, like at the discos at my Roman Catholic high school, has laid down some strict physical contact rules. Read all about it here..
Teams
Gatland has had to shuffle his pack late after Hamish Watson and Zander Fagerson both sustained late concussion and back spasm injuries respectively. Justin Tipuric and Tadgh Furlong are the replacements in a team that is not short on potential Test team flavour. Murray and Biggar are many people’s first choices, as are Henshaw, Adams, Owens, Beirne and of course Captain Alun Wyn Jones. Winger Duhan van der Merwe makes his Lions debut in front of his home crowd alongside team-mate and 2021 Six Nations revelation Rory Sutherland.
More than anything, the Lions team today demonstrates that whatever the chopping and changing, the options are always top drawer.
Japan have not played international rugby since 2019, but their team contains ten who started that year’s Rugby World Cup quarter final. Star flanker Kazuki Himeno arrived very recently on a flight from New Zealand after turning out for Crusaders and probably thinks it’s still Friday. Look out for him off the bench.
British & Irish Lions: Liam Williams; Josh Adams, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Dan Biggar, Conor Murray; Rory Sutherland, Ken Owens, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Alun Wyn Jones (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Justin Tipuric, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Jamie George, Wyn Jones, Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, Taulupe Faletau, Ali Price, Owen Farrell, Anthony Watson.
Japan: Ryohei Yamanaka; Kotaro Matsushima, Timothy Lafaele, Ryoto Nakamura, Siosaia Fifita; Yu Tamura, Kaito Shigeno; Keita Inagaki, Atsushi Sakate, Ji-won Koo, Wimpie van der Walt, James Moore, Michael Leitch (captain), Lappies Labuschagne, Amanaki Mafi.
Replacements: Kosuke Horikoshi, Craig Millar, Asaeli Ai Valu, Jack Cornelsen, Kazuki Himeno, Tevita Tatafu, Naoto Saito, Rikiya Matsuda.
Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of this first match of the British & Irish Lions 2021 tour, as Warren Gatland’s men take on Japan at Murrayfield.
It’s been such a long time coming. Nigh on two years navigating an asteroid field of “hows”, “whys” and “do you mind if I don’ts” has brought us to this point - a game in Scotland against a team that is nothing to do with South Africa. But let’s not dwell on the always daft nature of the opening tour matches of late history - Barbarians in Hong Kong, anyone? - and instead focus on the joy that the whole bloody thing is going ahead.
An actual British & Irish Lions team is taking to a rugby pitch in front of real human beings in the stands to take on opposition in a thing called a game of rugby union. I, for one, could not be more enamoured.
For all that is unique about the context there is plenty that is familiar. A large number of the Lions have toured before, Gatland is leading his third trip and such is his association with this most unique of institutions heat could be in the argument with Ian McGeechan as to who is the ultimate Lions man.
It will likely be a win for the “home” team, but whatever happens, it’s just so good to see them out there.
