New Zealand Dominate Japan Ahead of England Test

Billy Proctor was among nine different players who scored tries for New Zealand.

New Zealand prepared for their upcoming Test against England with a decisive 64-19 win over Japan in Yokohama. Led by captain Patrick Tuipulotu, the All Blacks showcased their strength running in seven of their 10 tries in the first half alone. New Zealand’s largely inexperienced lineup featuring standout performances from Tuipulotu, number eight Wallace Sititi and winger Mark Tele’a, controlled the game’s pace early on.

Despite an initial setback from Japan’s Jone Naikabula, who opened the scoring, the All Blacks quickly gained control. Tele’a and Tuipulotu responded with tries to pull New Zealand back into the lead. Although Faulua Makisi scored again for Japan, New Zealand quickly widened the margin with tries from Billy Proctor, Sam Cane and Samipeni Finau, all scored within an eight-minute period.

Dominating possession, they extended their lead further with Pasilio Tosi and Tamaiti Williams crossing before halftime, bringing their first-half total to seven tries. In the second half, Cam Roigard, back from injury scored a try adding to New Zealand’s tally. Replacement Opeti Helu marked his debut with a well-executed try while debutant Ruben Love capped off the game with two quick tries in the final minutes.

Fly-half Damian McKenzie converted seven of the All Blacks’ tries, adding a valuable 14 points. Post-game, Tuipulotu acknowledged their initial struggles but credited their success to maintaining ball possession and effective set pieces after the shaky start. “As long as we held the ball, we managed to get some good payout and ended up with some tries,” he noted.

The All Blacks now turn their focus to a high-profile clash with England at Twickenham on November 2 followed by Tests against Ireland, France and Italy marking a challenging European tour ahead.