France beats Japan 42-15 in Nations Championship rugby as Lucu tallies 15 points

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TOKYO (AP) — Matthieu Jalibert and hooker Maxime Lamothe scored two tries each and skipper Maxime Lucu tallied 15 points from five conversions and a try in an influential performance to lead France to a 42-15 win over Japan on Saturday in the Nations Championship.

Japan matched France physically in the first half and trailed 28-15 at halftime but lost touch on the scoreboard after conceding two tries early in the second. France dominated the aerial game, regularly gaining territory and possession from kicks.

It was a successful three-week tour for the Six Nations champion French, who were coming off a 42-26 win over Australia in Brisbane last week after opening the new 12-team tournament with a 34-32 loss to the All Blacks in New Zealand.

“We had long sequences with the ball despite a very, very hot and humid climate, and so we are now with two victories in this Nations Championship, so yes we’re very satisfied,” France winger Theo Attissogbe said through a translator. “It was a very, very big fight, but in the end, we’re really happy, to have a second victory.”

Japan finished the first phase of the Nations Championship with consecutive losses to Ireland and France after opening the tournament with a 27-10 win over Italy.

At the National Stadium in Tokyo, the French opened the scoring in the second minute when hooker Lamothe drove over after a close-range lineout.

Japan gained a one-point lead with fullback Takuro Matsunaga kicking a penalty goal and then sparking a long-range counter-attacking try from his own quarterline that was finished in the left corner by winger Kippei Ishida in 15th.

France regained the ascendancy over the next 20 minutes, rebounding with tries to fullback Jalibert in the 19th after sustained forward pressure, which resulted in a yellow card for Japan lock Harry Hockings, and No. 8 Alexandre Roumat in the 23rd.

Skipper and scrumhalf Lucu darted over after a strong run into contact from his hooker Lamothe and touched down on the half-hour to score France’s fourth try, securing a bonus competition point.

After narrowly missing a try in the right corner, Japan cut the margin to 13 points with a try four minutes before the break.

France scored early again in the second half, with Jalibert scoring in the 43rd when he changed running angles and took a short pass on Lucu's inside shoulder and crossed near the posts.

Lamothe scored again in the 51st minute, after sustained forward pressure from the big French pack, it was 42-15 and a much bigger margin seemed ominous.

But Jalibert was yellow carded for a high tackle in the 58th and, although Japan wasn't able to turn the one-man advantage into a try in the 10 minutes, it stopped France's momentum.

Japan had a try disallowed in the 63rd and didn't score in the second half of a hot and humid evening.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby