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. 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. 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.
Matches
First match
FB 15Ayumu GoromaruRW 14Kotaro MatsushimaOC 13Harumichi Tatekawa IC 12Male Sa'uLW 11Akihito Yamada FH 10Yuu Tamura SH 9 Atsushi HiwasaN8 8 Hayden Hopgood OF 7 Michael Leitch (c)BF 6 Hendrik TuiRL 5 Shoji Ito LL 4 Luke ThompsonTP 3 Kensuke Hatakeyama HK 2 Takeshi Kizu LP 1 Masataka Mikami Replacements:PR 16Keita Inagaki HK 17Hiroki Yuhara PR 18Shinnosuke Kakinaga LK 19Shinya Makabe N8 20Amanaki Mafi SH 21Keisuke Uchida FH 22Kosei Ono WG 23Karne Hesketh Coach: Eddie Jones FB 15Robbie Robinson RW 14Matt ProctorOC 13Jason Emery IC 12Charlie Ngatai (c)LW 11James LoweFH 10Ihaia WestSH 9 Chris Smylie N8 8 Elliot Dixon OF 7 Sean PolwartBF 6 Blade ThomsonRL 5 Hayden Triggs LL 4 Tom FranklinTP 3 Mike Kainga HK 2 Ash Dixon LP 1 Chris Eves Replacements:HK 16Codie Taylor PR 17Joe Royal PR 18Nick Barrett FL 19Nick Crosswell FL 20Dan Pryor SH 21Jamison Gibson-Park FH 22Marty McKenzie WG 23Nehe Milner-Skudder Coach: Colin Cooper Touch judges: Angus Gardner (Australia) James Leckie (Australia) Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Second match
FB 15Ayumu GoromaruRW 14Karne HeskethOC 13Kotaro MatsushimaIC 12Male Sa'u LW 11Akihito Yamada FH 10Kosei OnoSH 9 Atsushi HiwasaN8 8 Amanaki MafiOF 7 Michael Leitch (c) BF 6 Hendrik TuiRL 5 Shinya Makabe LL 4 Luke ThompsonTP 3 Kensuke HatakeyamaHK 2 Takeshi Kizu LP 1 Keita InagakiReplacements:PR 16Yusuke NagaeHK 17Hiroki Yuhara PR 18Shinnosuke KakinagaLK 19Hitoshi Ono N8 20Hayden Hopgood SH 21Keisuke UchidaFH 22Harumichi Tatekawa CE 23Ryohei Yamanaka Coach: Eddie Jones FB 15Nehe Milner-Skudder RW 14Kurt BakerOC 13Matt ProctorIC 12Charlie Ngatai (c)LW 11James LoweFH 10Ihaia West SH 9 Chris Smylie N8 8 Elliot DixonOF 7 Sean Polwart BF 6 Dan PryorRL 5 Blade ThomsonLL 4 Tom Franklin TP 3 Mike KaingaHK 2 Codie Taylor LP 1 Chris Eves Replacements:HK 16Joe Royal PR 17Brendon Edmonds PR 18Nick BarrettLK 19Hayden Triggs N8 20Mitchell Crosswell SH 21Jamison Gibson-Park FH 22Marty McKenzie WG 23Joe Webber Coach: Colin Cooper Touch judges: Luke Pearce (England) James Leckie (Australia) Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Asian Pacific Barbarians
Squads Note: Caps, ages and clubs are to 1 November, pre first match.
Māori All Blacks New Zealand Māori 27-man squad for the 2014 Japanese November Tour was announced on 21 October.
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. PlayerPositionDate of birth (age)Club/provinceIwiNgāti Tahinga Te Arawa / Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Kahungunu / Muaūpoko Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu Tainui Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāi Tahu Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi Ngāti Porou Ngāti Pūkenga / Ngāti Maru Ngāpuhi / Ngāti Pikiao Ngāti Porou Ngāpuhi Ngāi Tahu Ngāpuhi Ngāti Porou / Ngāi Tai Ngāti Mutunga Ngāti Tūwharetoa Ngati Kahungunu / Ngāti Porou Ngāpuhi / Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Porou / Te Whanau-a-Apanui Ngāpuhi / Ngāi Te Rangi Ngāti Porou / Tapuika Ngāi Te Rangi / Ngāpuhi Ngāti Ranginui Ngāpuhi Ngāti Tuwharetoa
Japan Japanese 30-man squad for two uncapped matches against the Māori All Blacks.
Statistics Key Con: Conversions Pen: Penalties DG: Drop goals Pts: Points
Māori All Blacks player statistics NameOverallCardsPlayedTriesConPenDGPtsIhaia West217403100Nehe Milner-Skudder220001000Jason Emery120001000Chris Eves21000500James Lowe21000500Charlie Ngatai21000500Sean Polwart21000500Dan Pryor21000500Codie Taylor21000500Mitchell Crosswell20000000Elliot Dixon20000000Tom Franklin20000010Jamison Gibson-Park20000000Mike Kainga20000000Marty McKenzie20000010Matt Proctor20000000Joe Royal20000000Chris Smylie20000000Hayden Triggs20000000Kurt Baker10000000Nick Barrett10000000Nick Crosswell10000000Ash Dixon10000000Brendon Edmonds10000000Robbie Robinson10000000Blade Thomson10000000Joe Webber10000000Shane Christie–––––0––Liam Squire–––––0––Joe Wheeler–––––0––
Match statistics NameOverallTeamTriesConPenDGPtsIhaia West174031Ayumu Goromaru042014Nehe Milner-Skudder200010Jason Emery200010Chris Eves10005Amanaki Mafi10005James Lowe10005Charlie Ngatai10005Sean Polwart10005Dan Pryor10005Codie Taylor10005Akihito Yamada10005
References