Rugby World Cup 2019: Japan vs Russia result and latest updates after opening fixture in Tokyo
Follow live updates from Tokyo as the 2019 Rugby World Cup gets underway in Japan
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Your support makes all the difference.Japan launched Asia's first Rugby World Cup with a victory the host nation craved as they beat Russia 30-10 at Tokyo Stadium.
Four years after causing the World Cup's biggest shock by beating South Africa, Japan again took centre stage, but they were made to work hard by an unheralded Russian outfit. Russia, making a first appearance on rugby union's global stage since 2011, led for most of the first half following wing Kirill Golosnitskiy's early try, but hat-trick hero Kotaro Matsushima sparked Japan into life.
The elusive wing claimed a try double before the break, then flanker Lappies Labuschagne dealt Russia a major blow by collecting an opportunist touchdown early in the second half.
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Here's that outrageous offload from Timothy Lafaele for your visual pleasure. Naughty!
Japan had 57% of possession and 61% of territory in that half. Both felt more even, though in such an all-over-the-place contest it can be hard to get a real feel for the game.
Hopefully we'll have slightly more structured and legible stuff in the second 40, which isn't too far way.
41 minutes
Through the middle rampages Kazuki Himeno as Japan start the half well, boshing through two tacklers and making excellent ground.
43 minutes
Japan lose out in that movement but work the ball into the Russian 22 again, and will have a scrum on the right.
The scrum holds well and the loosehead gets a nudge, opening the open side a touch wider and Japan look to exploit it. Ryoto Nakamura is well tackled as he straightens but Russia roll away back into the scrum half, and Yu Tamura will look to add three to tee.
45 minutes
I reckon Japan might just have got a bit of a rollicking from Jamie Joseph at half-time - they've started the half with real intensity, and Lomano Lemeki's latest foray inside is a success, pinballing his way 15 metres or so.
But twice they kick the ball away as Vasily Artemyev salmons up to bring a high hoist down impressively.
TRY! Pieter Labuschagne!
From nowhere! Labuschagne holds a carrier up in the tackle, rips the ball from him and spins away, showing deceptive lumbering pace to power away from the recovering tacklers, pawing the last man away with a big handoff.
That sort of try has been coming all game.
Yu Tamura can't convert, but Japan have some breathing room.
Japan 20-7 Russia
49 minutes
This is the Japan we wanted to see! They are properly playing, now, confidence coursing through their veins as William Tupou thumps into the contact area and through a tackle.
A knock-on on the right brings welcome relief for Russia, but there's a sense this game may be running away from them.
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