All Blacks Dominate Japan in Opening Test
The All Blacks started their 2023 tour with a bang, crushing Japan 38-23 in Tokyo. It wasn't a perfect performance, but the boys in black showed enough to suggest they're ready to tackle the rest of the season.
The All Blacks were firing on all cylinders early on, with beasts like Ardie Savea and Shannon Frizell causing havoc in the Japanese defense. The home side fought hard, but they were just no match for the sheer power and skill of the All Blacks.
Here's the lowdown on what went down in the first test:
- New Faces Shine: Several new faces were thrown into the mix for the All Blacks, and they impressed. Will Jordan was electric on the wing, scoring a couple of tries. Damian McKenzie looked sharp at fly-half, and Samisoni Taukei'aho was a force in the scrum.
- Dominant Scrum: The All Blacks scrum was a weapon in this game, putting constant pressure on the Japanese pack. This allowed them to dominate possession and territory.
- Japan Not Out: The Brave Blossoms didn't go down without a fight. They showed great resilience and scored some impressive tries of their own. The future is bright for Japanese rugby, but they need to find a way to break down the All Black defenses.
The win was a good start for the All Blacks, but they'll need to continue to improve if they want to achieve their goals this year. The team has a tough schedule ahead of them, with tests against France, Ireland, and Italy all coming up.
This was a test that showed the All Blacks have the potential to be a real force again. They'll need to keep working hard, but they've got the talent and the drive to achieve big things.
It's only the beginning, folks! Let's see what the All Blacks can achieve in the coming months.