Xavi Taele turned a frantic Nagoya finish into a Māori All Blacks escape act, sealing a 38-31 win over Japan XV after the visitors had trailed by 17 points at half-time.
The official Japan Rugby match sheet recorded Japan XV 31, Māori All Blacks 38, with the hosts leading 24-7 at the interval before being outscored 31-7 after the break. It was the kind of swing that gives this result more value than a routine tour win: Japan had the tempo, the scoreboard and the crowd, then lost control once New Zealand’s bench and midfield pressure began to bite.
Taele try completes brutal second-half swing
Japan struck first through Kazuma Ueda, then built their advantage with tries from Mamoru Harada, Dylan Riley and Inoke Burua. Adam Lennox had kept the Māori All Blacks alive before half-time, but at 24-7 the match looked shaped by Japan’s width and kick pressure.
The response was ruthless. Bailyn Sullivan crossed early in the second half, TK Howden and Sam Nock dragged the tourists back into range, and the late squeeze changed the game’s entire complexion. Taele’s 81st-minute score was the decisive act, with Taha Kemara’s kicking helping complete the seven-point margin.
For context, Read Rugby Union had already flagged the danger in the Japan XV vs Māori All Blacks preview, while Bailyn Sullivan’s leadership had been under the microscope after his captaincy appointment.
The broader lesson is sharper for New Zealand Rugby: this was not clean, but it was revealing. The Māori All Blacks found five second-half tries under scoreboard stress, and that is exactly the kind of pressure marker selectors will bank.
Sources: Japan Rugby Football Union match centre; All Blacks official highlights.
