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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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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18 minutes
That's a worse moment for Kotaro Matsushima - he takes the ball near the touchline on his own 22 and despite a valiant attempt to tumble back into the field of play, he's got chalk on his toes. Russia lineout in fine position.
19 minutes
Strong defence from Japan, pushing the Russians outside of the 22 and forcing the error with a rush up on the corner. An errant pass, Japanese possession, and they win the resulting kicking battle, and will have a lineout near halfway.
Which they take quickly!...
20 minutes
This game is incredibly open, and remarkably error-prone. Both teams are looking to play. There'll be a few aching legs come 80 minutes.
22 minutes
Footwork! Yu Tamura catches, steps back to invite the would-be tackler and like a matador with red cape whips himself away from the bull of a Russian trying to chop him down. Japan win a penalty, and he kicks up to the opposite ten metre line.
23 minutes
Now Japan are finding their fluency. Matsushima is brought into the game from the lineout, finding a soft shoulder, and here's Michael Leitch in space, a step inside and a deft offload and on they go.
Just about worked wide to Lomano Lemeki, who shimmies...
And knocks on, much to the disappointment of the crowd, who rise as a Japanese player collects and dots down, but Nigel Owens has already signalled for a scrum.
An audacious offload from Timothy Lafaele set up Kotaro Matsushima as the hosts produced a swift and superb response.
25 minutes
Russia somehow emerge with the ball as Japan lift their arms in protest 30 metres out, and through the defenders tracking back NIkita Vavilin charges before being hauled back.
But he pops the ball away to Vladimir Ostroushko, who weaves and wiggles his way further on and then toes ahead, with Japan doing well to get three men back to flop on the ball and clear.
Russia lineout on the Japanese 22. Another chance to challenge the line.
27 minutes
If you wanted a case study of how the humidity in Japan might impact ball-handling throughout the tournament, this game is serving as an extreme example. Russia fumble again as they look to go wide, and Japan, too, as they look to counter from the back of it.
29 minutes
That's better from Russia - a perfectly-weighted chip hops into the hands of Dmitry Gerasimov, who swiftly whips the ball onwards and there's space on the right.
But the final pass needed to exploit that space never comes as a recovering tackler ties the ball up, and after three more phases there's - you guessed it - a handling error. Japan clear to halfway. Copy and paste stuff, this.
31 minutes
At some point one of these teams is going to latch on to a loose pass or knock on and score a runaway try. Reckless abandon, mostly, with ball-in-hand, and the kicking has been pretty loose, too.
Japan work a simpler attacking pattern, making simple short passes, but then Timothy Lafaele tries to force something and the ball spills from his grasp as he hits the deck. Russia scrum, but they'll have to wait to have it, because scrum-half Vasily Doropeev has taken a bang.
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