Oxford University got off to a steady start to their rugby season by beating Japanese student champions Keio University 49-19 in
the first of a three-game friendly series here Sunday.

"The players from both sides today found conditions very difficult, it was hot, and certainly it took us a good half an hour to get use to the conditions," said Oxford head coach Steve Hill.

"But I was very pleased that my players' fitness level shows how much they have been working and I think in the last 10 minutes we were a stronger team. That was very encouraging for the rest of the season."

Keio scored the first try in the fourth minute with left winger Muneyoshi Yamamoto toughing down on the left field and stand off Toru Kurihara converting.

But that appeared to be their last try as the tight Oxford defenders never allowed the Japanese to cross the line, only giving four penalty goals.

Right lock Simon Miall pulled one back in the 10th minute with a converted try to tie the scores at 7-7, and then the home side added two penalties to lead 13-7.

But Sebastian Fitz Gerald converted Simon Danielli's try in the 28th minute and the visitors never looked back.

In the end, Miall, Danielli, Werner Van Pittius scored two tries each and Nick Marsh one, while Fitz Gerald scored a perfect six conversions, including two difficult, sharply angled shots.

Marsh completed the score line by converting Pittius' try in injury time.

"We knew that (Keio's) number 14 and 15 in particular are very fast, very quick. We saw that giving a try in the first minutes was not a good start, but never-the-less we managed to stop them scoring any more," said Hill.

Keio's coach Akio Ueda said: "Our first try was very good, but their defence was too tight and it was difficult to add points. We lost too many points in the first half ... it cost the match."

Oxford will take on Doshisha University on Wednesday and Kanto Gakuin University next Sunday before leaving here September 18.