2001 Wales rugby union tour of Japan

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2001 Wales rugby union tour of Japan
Manager Sam Simon
Coach(es) Lynn Howells
Tour captain(s) Andy Moore
Summary
Total
Test match
Opponent
 Japan

The 2001 Wales rugby union tour of Japan was a series of matches played in June 2001 in Japan by the Wales national rugby union team. With their best players involved in the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, the squad featured a blend of youth and experience.[1] Although they won just one of their non-test matches on tour, Wales won both tests against the Japan national team.

Results[edit]

Scores and results list Wales’ points tally first.

Wales v Barbarians[edit]

Before embarking on their tour, Wales played an uncapped match against the Barbarians, the first match of three for the Barbarians on their own tour of Great Britain.[5] Much of the discussion regarding Wales’ team selection for the match centred around fly-half Gavin Henson, who at 19 years and 108 days, would be the youngest Wales player to appear at the position since Llewellyn Lloyd in 1896.[6] Henson ultimately started the game on the bench, as coach Graham Henry preferred Neil Jenkins, one of eight Wales players in the team who were due to join the British & Irish Lions on their tour to Australia later in the summer.[7] Shortly before the game, the Welsh Rugby Union decided to downgrade it from fully-capped to uncapped.[8]

The Barbarians held a 14–7 lead at half-time, thanks to tries from Dan Luger and Joeli Vidiri, either side of one from Jenkins. Wales thought Shane Williams had levelled the scores with a try under the posts just before the break, but it was ruled out for a forward pass in the build-up. After the interval, Kevin Morgan scored a pair of tries for the home side, one converted by Jenkins and the other by Stephen Jones, to put them 21–14 up. Substitute winger Friedrich Lombard responded for the Barbarians, but Braam van Straaten missed the conversion to leave them two points behind. Williams did score a try shortly afterwards, with Jones converting to put Wales 28–19 up. The Barbarians’ replacement hooker Naka Drotské cut the deficit to two points again with a converted try, but Craig Quinnell restored Wales’ nine-point margin soon after. As the game entered the final minutes, Percy Montgomery scored a try for the Barbarians, again converted by Van Straaten, only for Stephen Jones to kick a penalty moments later, putting Wales five points up shortly before the 80-minute mark; however, in the third minute of injury time, Lombard scored his second try of the game to level the scores, and Van Straaten kicked the conversion to give the Barbarians a 40–38 win.[9]

Suntory v Wales[edit]

Wales’ opening tour match was against Japanese league champions Suntory, the first time a Japanese club side had faced a touring international team.[10] Taking over as coach from Graham Henry, who was coaching the British & Irish Lions in Australia, Lynn Howells named nine full internationals in the Wales team, including Stephen Jones, who was playing out of position at inside centre to accommodate Henson at fly-half. Jones captained the team in the absence of tour captain Andy Moore, who was rested. Cardiff flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor was picked to start despite not having played a senior match at club level.[11] Lock Craig Quinnell was picked to start the match, but he pulled out due to injury and was replaced in the line-up by Adam Jones.[12] Wales held a 21–10 lead at half-time, but four second-half tries from Suntory, including a last-minute winner, saw them come from behind to claim a 45–41 victory.[13]

Japan Select XV v Wales[edit]

First test: Japan v Wales[edit]

Japan vs Wales 2001-06-10.svg

Pacific Barbarians v Wales[edit]

Second test: Japan v Wales[edit]

Japan vs Wales 2001-06-17.svg

References[edit]