The Japanese Brave Blossoms will host the New Zealand All Blacks on the 3rd of Nov 2018. Japan who will host the WC is trying to weigh themselves against the very best before the WC kicks off in 2019. The 2017 Asian Champions will fancy their chances when they rise up to face the reigning World Champions on the 1st Saturday of November 2018. In the recent past, Japan has seen an upturn in fortunes as they keep on developing into a decent side. As they prepare to host the WC next year, the Cherry Blossoms will be eager to test their ability against a formidable All Blacks side. And here’s the Japan vs New Zealand Rugby November Test Preview with a view to detecting the winner of the game.

All Blacks vs Japan Rugby Schedule, Kickoff Time and Where to Watch

Japan lost twice to Ireland before earning an impressive 23-all draw with France. They then played Italy in two consecutive fixtures where they won one and lost the other. And now they meet the World Rugby power New Zealand who retained the Rugby Championship 2018 trophy having won five out of six matches. Let’s take a look at the schedule of both sides end of year rugby test.

  • What: Japan vs New Zealand Rugby 2018 November Test
  • When: Saturday, November 3, 2018
  • Where: Ajinomoto Stadium, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
  • Kickoff: 5:45 am (GMT)
  • Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
  • Where To Watch: Sky Sports, Fox Sports

Japan and NZ Rugby Last Game

In the previous 30-32 win against South Africa Rugby, NZ left it late to stun the Springboks and avoid losing twice to the South African side in the Rugby Championship. The Boks were the dominant side in the first half but the scoreline was deceptive as both sides went to the break in a 6-all tie. Penalty conversions by Pollard and Barrett were the only alterations to the scoreline in the 1st half. The SA Rugby started the second half more strongly as Kriel and de le Andre grabbed tries which were duly converted by Pollard. Smith halved the deficit for the Kiwis before Kolbe responded with a try for the Boks. However, the All Blacks were never going down without a fight as they scored a try through Loane in the 62nd minute.

On the other hand, in the last game, Japan Rugby had also managed an impressive 28-0 win over Georgia but the Japanese won’t be thumbing their chests yet. In the game against Georgia, Van der Walt, Lemeki and Himeno crossed the line for Japan to score tries. Noguchi converted a penalty while Tamura put two conversions and two penalties over to ensure the Blossoms won in an emphatic fashion.

NZ Rugby and Japan Rugby: Win-Loss

2018 has been a good year as expected for the Kiwis. They only lost 34-36 to the Boks in a closely contested match but were classy in the rest of the games. They will head to Australia to play the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup on the 27th of October, before jetting to Tokyo to face the Rugby World Cup 2019 host. Since the turn of the year, the Kiwis have only lost once in nine outings while they were on the winning side of the remaining 8. They will be keen to maintain their momentum as they prepare to defend their world title later next year.

On the contrary, Japan won only two in the last 6 outings and managed a draw against Les Bleus France Rugby.

Both Sides Key Players

Take a look at below for the key players of Japan vs New Zealand Rugby November Test.

  • Japanese Side

The Japanese roster comprises of K. Inagaki, M. Mikami, H. Shota, S. Makabe, L. M. Amanaki, M. Leitch, F. Tanaka, Yu Tamura, A. Yamada, and H. Tatekawa all featured in the world shocking win over the Boks in 2015. These players will be the source of inspiration and they will be bringing the much-needed experience to this game if selected.

  • All Blacks Key Rookies

Barrett, Rieko Loane, and R. Mo’unga were impressive in the Rugby Championship in August and September. They are the players who are enjoying the best of forms in the All Blacks squad. They will be a thrill to watch in this game.

Japan vs New Zealand Rugby Head To Head

Before Japan vs New Zealand Rugby November Test, both sides met for three times in the recent past. Twice in the world cup and once in a test match. New Zealand won 145-7 before following it up with an 83-7 win. In the test match, New Zealand won 54-6.

Japan vs New Zealand Rugby November Test Preview, Prediction

You cannot be a world champion without beating an existing champion, and Japan will be testing their capabilities on the 3rd of November. However, New Zealand is in a scintillating form right now. They have played in a good number of matches and are match fit. The same can’t be said of the Japanese however who last played a competitive game in June. All those factors considered, the All Blacks will pick a straightforward win over the Brave Blossoms. Pick Japan 14 – 64 New Zealand.

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