Asian Rugby Championship
Japan thump Korea, claim title with game to spare
May 11, 2015
Kenki Fukuoka scored a hat-trick against South Korea © Getty Images
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Japan have underlined their regional dominance by thumping South Korea 66-10 to secure the Asian rugby championship with a game to spare. The odds-on favourites were never likely to be seriously troubled in the inaugural competition, and they duly completed formalities after last week's 41-0 demolition of Hong Kong with victory over the Koreans in Fukuoka on Sunday.

Japan's predictable triumph was something of an anti-climax, Australian coach Eddie Jones none the wiser as he continues to tinker and build towards the Rugby World Cup later this year.

"Today was all about attitude," the former Brumbies and Wallabies coach said. "They were in their worst physical condition in three years in terms of fatigue but I'm pleased that they worked through it."

Kenki Fukuoka ran in three tries for the Brave Blossoms but he said "we've got a lot of things we still need to improve on, as we've seen today".

"But for me personally I was really pleased to have made an impact and it was great to score tries in my hometown."

Japan, who face South Africa, Scotland, Samoa and the United States at the World Cup, broke into the top 10 in the World Rugby Rankings for the first time last year, after an impressive run of 10 successive wins, including victory over Six Nations side Italy. But they have won just once at the World Cup despite appearing in all seven previous tournaments, beating minnows Zimbabwe in 1991.

© AAP

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