New Zealand U20 survive lightning abandonment to set up Scotland clash at Junior World Championships

New Zealand Under-20s were handed a 38-21 bonus-point victory over Japan after a lightning storm cut short their World Rugby Junior Championships opener at AIA Arena in Kutaisi, Georgia, with the match abandoned in the 68th minute following a 20-minute delay.

The All Blacks juniors had been in control for much of the contest, but Japan produced a remarkable first-half comeback to level at 21-21 after trailing 21-7. Winger Shinnosuke Uchida finished off a perfectly weighted cross-field kick from first five Takeru Niwa, before hooker Sota Miura burst 25 metres from a driving maul to stun New Zealand before the break.

Captain and openside Caleb Woodley, who scored a second-half try from a lineout, described the surreal atmosphere when the players were ordered from the field. “Funny, we had a huddle just before we were ordered off,” he said. “When we got into the dressing sheds, we talked about the game like a halftime break. Then we didn’t know what to do.”

Coach Kane Jury, who spent a decade coaching in Hong Kong where weather delays were not uncommon, said the wider schedule was thrown into chaos. “France and Fiji were worried because they were due to play after us. Australia and Spain didn’t start until ten past nine at night. It was a pretty strange day, alright.”

Jury was candid about the defensive lapses that allowed Japan back into the match. “A lot of their success came from our lack of discipline — penalties we could control, offside, tackle height, the yellow card,” he said. “There was a big dip in the moments we weren’t world-class.”

Despite the irregularity of the result, New Zealand’s record in pool play now stands at 40 wins from 45 matches, while Japan had not won a tournament game since 2015 and entered the fixture on an 18-match pool losing streak.

Attention now turns to Scotland, who defeated Italy 38-32 in their opening fixture. New Zealand outside back Logan Williams, originally from Dundee before moving to New Zealand at age two, brings a personal connection to the upcoming contest — one that Jury’s squad will be approaching with considerable respect after Scotland’s high-scoring debut.