Japan Wins HSBC Asian Five Nations 2011

Japan, Asia’s Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying side, have clinched the HSBC Asian 5 Nations 2011 title for a fourth consecutive year beating Sri Lanka 90 – 13 today in Colombo.

Japan shook off some very humid conditions to win the HSBC A5N in style and make it a perfect 16 wins from 16 matches in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations since 2008. Japan’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations campaign was dedicated to the victims of the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and will do much to lift the spirits of Japanese rugby fans back home.

Japan opened the floodgates for a second consecutive week in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations this time behind five tries from centre Alisi Tupuailai earning him honours as the HSBC A5N 2011 top try scorer with nine tries from four matches. Tupuailai also ties the record for tries in an HSBC Asian 5 Nations match set last season by Kosuke Endo who scored five tries against Korea in Daegu in 2010. Tupuailai’s nine tries on the season are also the highest individual try tally in the Top 5 competition since the inception of the HSBC Asian Five Nations in 2008.

Behind Tupuailai in the top scoring honours in 2011 is up and coming winger Takehisa Usuzuki who added one try today to bring him to five for the tournament. Japan captain Takashi Kikutani added a brace along with firebrand scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka.

Other try scorers included veteran winger Hirotoki Onozawa, flanker Toetuu Taufa and flyhalf Shaun Webb whose try and three conversions brought him to 11 points. Reserve flyhalf Atsushi Tanabe also notched a try and added seven conversions for 19 points on the day.

Sri Lanka put up a brave performance and even briefly led the match after an early try from winger Chula Susantha with a successful conversion from fullback Saliya Kumara. The hosts’ other points came through a drop goal by Sri Lankan scrumhalf Roshan Weeraratne, the only one in this year’s HSBC A5N Top 5 competition. Exciting winger Nuwan Hettiarachchi continued his fine tournament with a well- taken penalty.

Putting any points on the board against Japan is a creditable performance for the non-professional teams in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Top 5 and Sri Lanka will take heart from some strong outings in its first taste of Top 5 rugby.

Japan finished the HSBC Asian 5 Nations with a perfect record of 24 points from four wins and four bonus points for scoring four tries or more in each match. Hong Kong finished in second place for the first time in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations on 17 points after their 62 – 3 rout of the UAE in Hong Kong. The UAE finishes in third on 8 points, followed by Kazakhstan on 6 points.

After brave performances throughout the campaign, Sri Lanka bows out of its first year in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Top 5 competition but Asian rugby fans have seen enough to know that the Sri Lankans will be making a strong bid to return to the Top 5 in 2012.

Sri Lanka will be replaced by the winner of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Division I Tournament between Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The Division I tournament will be played on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 (Semi Finals between Korea and the Philippines and Singapore and Malaysia) and on Saturday, 4 June 2011, (Finals and 3rd/4th place play-off).

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