On 7 July 2014, it was announced by the New Zealand Rugby Union that the Māori All Blacks would play a three-match Asian Series, including two matches against the Japanese national team and a match against an invitational Asian Pacific Barbarians (APB) team - a side made up from top Asian and Polynesian players and coached by Tana Umaga.[1] The APB match was set to take place at the newly opened National Stadium in Singapore, but due to concerns over the safety of the playing surface at the stadium, the match was cancelled on 21 October 2014.[2] For Japan, the second a third meeting between the two teams goes ahead a scheduled with the 2013 tour coach Colin Cooper remaining as head coach.
| 2014 Māori All Blacks tour of Japan | |
|---|---|
| Date | 1 – 8 November |
| Coach(es) |  Colin Cooper |
| Tour captain(s) | Charlie Ngatai |
| Top point scorer(s) | Ihaia West (31) |
| Top try scorer(s) | Jason Emery (2) Nehe Milner-Skudder (2) |
| Tour chronology | |
| Previous tour | 2013 |
Matches edit
First match edit
| 1 November 2014 14:00 JST (UTC+9) |
Japan  | 21–61 |  Māori All Blacks |
| Try: Penalty try (2) 25' c, 73' c Mafi 52' c Con: Goromaru (3/3) 27', 53', 73' | Report[3] | Try: Eves 7' m Emery (2) 20' c, 34' c Polwart 23' c West 46' c Milner-Skudder 55' m Ngatai 63' c Lowe 76' c Con: West (6/8) 21', 24', 35', 47', 64', 77' Pen: West (3/5) 14', 17', 40' |
| Noevir Stadium, Kobe[4] Attendance: 21,234 Referee: Luke Pearce (England) |
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Touch judges:
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Second match edit
| 8 November 2014 14:00 JST (UTC+9) |
| Japan | 18–20 | Māori All Blacks |
| Try: Yamada 38' m Penalty try 47' c Con: Goromaru (1/2) 48' Pen: Goromaru (2/3) 54', 72' | Report[5] | Try: Taylor 16' c Milner-Skudder 22' m Pryor 80' m Con: West (1/2) 17' Pen: West (1/2) 31' |
| Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo[4] Attendance: 20,515 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
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Touch judges:
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Asian Pacific Barbarians edit
| 15 November 2014 14:30 SST (UTC+8) |
| Asia Pacific Dragons | Cancelled | Māori All Blacks |
| New Singapore National Stadium, Singapore Referee: ARU Appointment (Australia) |
Squads edit
Note: Caps, ages and clubs are to 1 November, pre first match.
Māori All Blacks edit
New Zealand Māori 27-man squad for the 2014 Japanese November Tour was announced on 21 October.[6]
On 26 October, Nick Crosswell, Mitch Crosswell and Hayden Triggs were added to the squad to replace the injured Shane Christie, Liam Squire and Joe Wheeler respectively.[7]
| Player | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Club/province | Iwi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Dixon | Hooker | 10 September 1988 (aged 26) | Hawke's Bay
|
Ngāti Tahinga |
| Joe Royal | Hooker | 31 May 1985 (aged 29) | Bay of Plenty
|
Te Arawa / Ngāti Whātua |
| Codie Taylor | Hooker | 31 March 1991 (aged 23) | Canterbury
|
Ngāti Kahungunu / Muaūpoko |
| Nick Barrett | Prop | 1 November 1988 (aged 26) | Auckland
|
Ngāti Kahungunu |
| Brendon Edmonds | Prop | 28 November 1990 (aged 23) | Hawke's Bay
|
Ngāti Kahungunu |
| Chris Eves | Prop | 11 December 1987 (aged 26) | Manawatu
|
Tainui |
| Mike Kainga | Prop | 28 January 1991 (aged 23) | Bay of Plenty
|
Ngāti Kahungunu |
| Tom Franklin | Lock | 11 August 1990 (aged 24) | Otago
|
Ngāti Maniapoto |
| Hayden Triggs | Lock | 22 February 1982 (aged 32) | North Harbour
|
Ngāti Kahungunu |
| Joe Wheeler | Lock | 20 October 1987 (aged 27) | Tasman
|
Ngāi Tahu |
| Shane Christie | Flanker | 23 September 1985 (aged 29) | Tasman
|
Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi |
| Nick Crosswell | Flanker | 3 April 1986 (aged 28) | Manawatu
|
Ngāti Porou |
| Sean Polwart | Flanker | 14 April 1990 (aged 24) | Auckland
|
Ngāti Pūkenga / Ngāti Maru |
| Dan Pryor | Flanker | 14 April 1988 (aged 26) | Northland
|
Ngāpuhi / Ngāti Pikiao |
| Mitchell Crosswell | Number 8 | 14 November 1988 (aged 25) | Taranaki
|
Ngāti Porou |
| Blade Thomson | Number 8 | 4 December 1990 (aged 23) | Taranaki
|
Ngāpuhi |
| Liam Squire | Number 8 | 20 March 1991 (aged 23) | Tasman
|
Ngāi Tahu |
| Elliot Dixon | Number 8 | 4 September 1989 (aged 25) | Southland
|
Ngāpuhi |
| Jamison Gibson-Park | Scrum-half | 23 February 1992 (aged 22) | Taranaki
|
Ngāti Porou / Ngāi Tai |
| Chris Smylie | Scrum-half | 22 March 1982 (aged 32) | Taranaki
|
Ngāti Mutunga |
| Marty McKenzie | Fly-half | 14 August 1992 (aged 22) | Taranaki
|
Ngāti Tūwharetoa |
| Ihaia West | Fly-half | 16 January 1992 (aged 22) | Hawke's Bay
|
Ngati Kahungunu / Ngāti Porou |
| Jason Emery | Centre | 21 September 1993 (aged 21) | Manawatu
|
Ngāpuhi / Ngāti Maniapoto |
| Charlie Ngatai (c) | Centre | 17 August 1990 (aged 24) | Taranaki
|
Ngāti Porou / Te Whanau-a-Apanui |
| James Lowe | Centre | 8 July 1992 (aged 22) | Tasman
|
Ngāpuhi / Ngāi Te Rangi |
| Nehe Milner-Skudder | Wing | 15 December 1990 (aged 23) | Manawatu
|
Ngāti Porou / Tapuika |
| Matt Proctor | Wing | 26 October 1992 (aged 22) | Wellington/Hurricanes
|
Ngāi Te Rangi / Ngāpuhi |
| Joe Webber | Wing | 27 August 1993 (aged 21) | Waikato
|
Ngāti Ranginui |
| Kurt Baker | Fullback | 7 October 1988 (aged 26) | Taranaki/Highlanders
|
Ngāpuhi |
| Robbie Robinson | Fullback | 22 August 1989 (aged 25) | Southland/Chiefs
|
Ngāti Tuwharetoa |
Japan edit
Japanese 30-man squad for two uncapped matches against the Māori All Blacks.[8]
Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryuhei Arita | Hooker | 21 March 1989 (aged 25) | 7 | Coca-Cola Red Sparks
|
| Takeshi Kizu | Hooker | 15 July 1988 (aged 26) | 28 | Kobelco Steelers
|
| Hiroki Yuhara | Hooker | 21 January 1984 (aged 30) | 16 | Toshiba Brave Lupus
|
| Kensuke Hatakeyama | Prop | 2 August 1985 (aged 29) | 57 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Keita Inagaki | Prop | 2 June 1990 (aged 24) | 0 | Panasonic Wild Knights
|
| Shinnosuke Kakinaga | Prop | 19 December 1992 (aged 21) | 0 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Masataka Mikami | Prop | 4 June 1988 (aged 26) | 21 | Toshiba Brave Lupus
|
| Hiroshi Yamashita | Prop | 1 January 1986 (aged 28) | 36 | Kobelco Steelers
|
| Shoji Ito | Lock | 2 December 1980 (aged 33) | 26 | Kobelco Steelers
|
| Shinya Makabe | Lock | 26 March 1987 (aged 27) | 27 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Hitoshi Ono | Lock | 6 May 1978 (aged 36) | 85 | Toshiba Brave Lupus
|
| Luke Thompson | Lock | 16 April 1981 (aged 33) | 48 | Kintetsu Liners
|
| Michael Leitch (c) | Flanker | 7 October 1988 (aged 26) | 37 | Toshiba Brave Lupus
|
| Hendrik Tui | Flanker | 13 December 1987 (aged 26) | 25 |  Queensland Reds
|
| Ryuta Yasui | Flanker | 6 December 1989 (aged 24) | 2 | Kobelco Steelers
|
| Hayden Hopgood | Number 8 | 30 July 1980 (aged 34) | 1 | Kamaishi Seawaves
|
| Amanaki Mafi | Number 8 | 11 January 1990 (aged 24) | 0 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs
|
| Atsushi Hiwasa | Scrum-half | 22 May 1987 (aged 27) | 36 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Yuki Yatomi | Scrum-half | 16 February 1985 (aged 29) | 13 | Yamaha Júbilo
|
| Kosei Ono | Fly-half | 17 April 1987 (aged 27) | 22 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Harumichi Tatekawa | Fly-half | 2 December 1989 (aged 24) | 26 | Kubota Spears
|
| Kotaro Matsushima | Centre | 23 February 1993 (aged 21) | 4 | Suntory Sungoliath
|
| Male Sa'u | Centre | 13 October 1987 (aged 27) | 18 | Melbourne Rebels
|
| Yuu Tamura | Centre | 9 January 1989 (aged 25) | 25 | NEC Green Rockets
|
| Craig Wing | Centre | 26 December 1979 (aged 34) | 7 | Kobelco Steelers
|
| Yoshikazu Fujita | Wing | 8 September 1993 (aged 21) | 18 | Waseda University
|
| Karne Hesketh | Wing | 1 August 1985 (aged 29) | 0 | Fukuoka Sanix Blues
|
| Toshiaki Hirose | Wing | 17 October 1981 (aged 33) | 21 | Toshiba Brave Lupus
|
| Akihito Yamada | Wing | 26 July 1986 (aged 28) | 9 | Panasonic Wild Knights
|
| Ayumu Goromaru | Fullback | 1 March 1986 (aged 28) | 41 | Yamaha Júbilo
|
Statistics edit
Key
- Con: Conversions
- Pen: Penalties
- DG: Drop goals
- Pts: Points
Māori All Blacks player statistics edit
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Match statistics edit
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References edit
- ^ "Maori All Blacks to play three-match Asian Series including historic Singapore clash". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "NZ Maori clash with Singapore cut from tour". Stuff. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Maori All Blacks blow over Brave Blossoms". ONE News. 1 November 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Maori All Blacks to play three-match Asian Series including historic Singapore clash". www.allblacks.com. 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Japan give Maori All Blacks huge scare". 1 NEWS NOW. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "2014 Maori All Blacks squad named". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Three injury replacements called into Maori All Blacks squad". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "日本代表「リポビタンDチャレンジカップ2014」「リポビタンDツアー2014」メンバー". rugby-japan.jp. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2017.