World Cup Rugby hosts Japan have opened their mid-year internationals with a 33-21 victory over Romania in Kyushu, the Brave Blossoms staving off a strong second-half comeback.
Utilising their pace, movement and coach Jamie Joseph's expansive tactics to perfection on Saturday, Japan scored three tries to Romania's two as five-eighth Jumpei Ogura tallied 18 points from seven kicks in an impressive display of all-round rugby.
World No.11 Japan, five places higher in the rankings, looked a class above for much of the contest, until Romania slowed the game down and fought back in the latter stages.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges, keeping the ball in the hands of their hulking forwards to force two penalties that Florin Vlaicu slotted over for a 6-0 lead within six minutes.
The Brave Blossoms rallied, winger Akihito Yamada responding with a brilliant solo try after 13 minutes when Romania lost possession in midfield.
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Ogura added the extras and another three penalties, with Vlaicu slotting home another in between, before winger Kenki Fukuoka scored in the corner on the stroke of halftime after a sweeping cross-field move.
Ogura kicked a tricky conversion to give Japan a 23-9 halftime lead at a packed Umakana Yokana Stadium in Kumamoto.
Japan pulled further ahead immediately after the break, as Chiefs Super Rugby back-rower Michael Leitch burst through the Romanian defence to touch down unopposed and Ogura added another penalty on 50 minutes for a 33-9 lead.
Romania were looking weary but their forwards finally had some ball to shove No.8 Mihai Macovei over from a driving maul after a lineout in the corner.
With replacement prop Heiichiro Ito sin-binned after 63 minutes for bringing down a maul, Romania made the extra man count. Tongan-born winger Fonovai Tangimana bustled over after a well-worked scrum, which Vlaicu converted to make it 33-21 after 66 minutes and the visitors took control.
Japan, who next face Ireland in back-to-back home Tests over the next two weekends, managed to hang on.
