Jaco Saves NEC From World Fighting Bull

NEC v World
By Joe Duggan
December 22 2004

In the weeks prior to Saturday's encounter, NEC's fortunes had been a mixed bag. Two weeks ago, a Jaco-less side went down 37-22 at second placed Yamaha Jubilo (who are rumoured to be trying to sign Chris Latham next season).

Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo. Saturday December 18th 2004. 12:00 KO

With NEC now 5 points behind leaders Toshiba, this added a lot more importance to last week's game against Microsoft Cup holders, Kobe Steelers. At half time, NEC had nosed ahead 24-17, but ran riot in the second half to romp home 65-24, with Jaco having probably his best game of the season so far. (I'd have done a full report of this game, but I was too busy last week.) However, with the 3 teams above them (Toshiba, Yamaha and, this season's surprise package, Toyota) all having done the business in their 2 matches following the month break, NEC found themselves still in 4th place, and still 5 points behind Yamaha and the seemingly unstoppable Toshiba.

With today's game kicking off at noon and being the first of a double header (the second game being Toshiba's 51-3 fleecing (Boom! Boom!) of Ricoh Black Rams), my wife and I had to make a mad dash to get to the stadium on time. NEC usually plays in the second game, so usually we just arrive to watch the last 20 minutes of the first game. There was a lower turn out than usual (although the crowd had swelled by the time Toshiba's game started), so we could get fairly decent seats this time. The way the seating works at Chichibu Stadium is that the areas between the 22s are reserved and more expensive, but sitting or standing anywhere else is fine (the terracing is behind the goal at the scoreboard end and usually pretty much empty). Des Kissane's World have had a pretty tough season so far, picking up only 3 wins from 9, so it looked like it would be an easy afternoon for the Green Rockets. Kissane's decision to play both his permitted foreigners up front (Samoan George Stowers, formerly Waikato Chiefs, at Number 8 and Fijian international Ifereimi Rawaqa at flanker) made a big difference, as both gave NEC a lot of problems.

With the sun glaring over the main stand, it was quite warm for a December afternoon. With NEC defending the scoreboard end, they had the dazzling sun in their faces throughout the first half. After 5 minutes, Green Rockets' skipper, Miuchi, made a storming 40 yard break down the left flank after NEC turned over World ball on half way. From the ensuing ruck, the ball came out to Jaco on the right wing, who saw off the World full back with a big hand off to go over in the right corner. Jaco also kicked the conversion from the touchline to open NEC's account.

Things were really looking up for NEC, as 5 minutes later, after a good period of possession, NEC found themselves in the World 22. The ball came out to Jaco on the blind side, and he put winger, Kubota over in the corner. With the conversion attempt going wide, the score remained at 12-0. It was starting to look like NEC were in for an easy afternoon

More or less straight from the restart, NEC found themselves defending a lineout deep inside their 22. In the resulting rolling maul, World prop, Yamamoto, crashed over for the score, although TV replays showed that he lost control of the ball as he went over the line, to bring World back into the game. The scores were levelled moments later, when NEC's scrum half, Tsuji, lost the ball on half way. World skipper, Onishi put up a high kick, and Jaco misjudged the flight of the ball in the glaring sunshine, allowing World centre, Nakaya, to get the luck of the bounce and score.

After 20 minutes, NEC was back in the lead. Jaco got the ball inside the World 22, drew two defenders, and put full back, Takei over in the corner. With the conversion attempt going wide, NEC led 17-12. But their advantage was short lived. Takei was then replaced by Okano, who came on at fly half, with Jaco switching to full back for the remainder of the game.

In the 26th minute, NEC lost the ball in from of the World goal posts. The ball was spun out to winger, Tanizaki, who sprinted 80m, leaving the NEC cover trailing in his wake to level the scores once again at 17 a piece. On the half hour, however, Jaco restored NEC's lead with an easy penalty from inside the World 22. He then added another right on half-time after the World back- line were pulled up for offside, to make it 23-17 at the break.

Within 3 minutes of the restart, World found themselves down to 14 men, with their big Fijian flanker, Rawaqa, getting a yellow for killing the ball in a ruck. Moments later, he was followed by centre, and captain, Onishi. With 13 men on the park, World defended doggedly, and broke up the field when their big Samoan number 8, intercepted a pass in centre field. After a scrappy passage of play, the ball came out to full back, Miki, who attacked down the right side. He passed out to prop, Yamamoto who popped up on the wing and sped past winger Numata. He slipped a deft inside pass to prop, Tachikawa, who went over in the corner. With Yura adding the extras, Rawaqa returned to the field with World leading 24-23. Moments later, NEC squandered a good attacking opportunity, when they had a penalty decision in the corner reversed, after lock, Kumagai, had used his fist in a maul. On the hour, NEC winger, Ohigashi, scored an almost identical try to Kubota's first half try in the corner, with Jaco added the extras. Shortly after, Miuchi was yellow carded for deliberately stopping World from taking a tap penalty from 5m out from the NEC goal line. The resulting penalty was kicked into the corner, and from the line out, prop Tachikawa, crashed over to score his second try of the half. Yura added the extras to give the 1 point advantage back to World. With World defending so well, things were beginning to look bleak for NEC. They couldn't get into the Fighting Bull 22 during the last 5 minutes, and were even turned over on a couple of occasions. NEC were awarded a couple of long range penalties as full time drew nearer. Jaco's first attempt didn't get anywhere near the posts, and the second was pulled to the left.

The climax turned out to be as dramatic as the rest of the game. World were, again, penalised on the centre spot for pulling down a maul. Miuchi asked Jaco if he could kick that far, to which Jaco replied "I'll give it a go". The crowd gasped as the referee pointed to the posts. The ground was silent as Jaco stepped up to hit it. The kick certainly had the direction, but seemed to be fading as it approached the posts. Rawaqa leapt up to try to block it, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and went over, giving NEC the win. If there was one moment that summed up the whole 80 minutes, that was it. NEC scraped through with a 33-31 win and a bonus point, but it could have been the final nail in their title hopes.

I watched some of the Toshiba game against Ricoh, but we realised that we'd lost our camera case. With Toshiba already running away with that one, we decided to see if we could find it. We'd moved around the stadium quite a lot, so we just reported it to the stewards in the end, and they gave us a number to call the next day. It was at this time, that we bumped into Jaco and had the conversation I've already mentioned elsewhere on the board.

In other games on Saturday, Toshiba and Yamaha both had easy wins (Yamaha beat IBM 48-10). It wasn't all bad news for NEC, though, as third placed Toyota Verblits went down 16-9 to Suntory, in the shock result of the weekend. The 7 point margin, however, means they picked up a bonus point, but NEC have them well within their sights. In fact, the 2 sides meet in Aichi on Boxing Day, which will be a huge game. On the same day, Toshiba play away to Yamaha, too. With 2 games left in the Top League campaign, Toshiba and Yamaha are both on 40 points, Toyota on 36 and NEC on 35, so although it's highly unlikely that NEC will win the League, they should be guaranteed an easy home tie (probably against Kubota or Suntory) in the Microsoft Cup, which they won last year.

Well, the next game I'll attend won't be until January 10th, on the closing day of the Top League. Toyota play Kubota, and NEC play Ricoh. I also have the dates for the Microsoft Cup now. The QF will be on January 23rd, with the SF and final being held on the following Sundays. As I've said, NEC are the defending Microsoft Cup champions, but I can see Toshiba making a clean sweep this year. It would be nice to see Jaco go back to Leicester with a winner's medal or 2, though!

Teams NEC: 15 Takei 14 Kubota 13 Mizuta 12 Mukouyama 11 K. Ohigashi 10 Jaco 9 Tsuji 1 Hisatomi 2 Amino 3 Kinoshita 4 Asano 5 Kumagai 6 T. Ohigashi 7 Marsh 8 Miuchi (c) Reps: 16 Tachikawa 17 Higashi 18 Semisi 19 Miyamura 20 Fujito 21 Okano 22 Tanaka

World: 15 Miki 14 Tanizaki 13 Nakaya 12 S. Onishi (c) 11 Numata 10 Yura 9 Oka 1 Yamamoto 2 Honda 3 Tachikawa 4 Haneda 5 R. Onishi 6 Rawaqa 7 Tanaka 8 Stowers Reps: 16 Yasuda 17 Ogura 18 Kurokawa 19 Ouchi 20 Nakayama 21 Ruivadra 22 Minami