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\nMamoru Harada of Japan scores a try during a rugby test match against Canada in Niigata on Sept. 5, 2026. (Kyodo) <\/p>\n
\n NIIGATA, Japan (Kyodo) — Hooker Mamoru Harada scored two tries as Japan powered to a 57-12 victory over Canada in a rugby test match on Saturday.
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\n The clash at Niigata’s Denka Big Swan Stadium marked the Brave Blossoms’ first appearance in the city on the Sea of Japan coast in 18 years.
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\n Meiji University standout Ryunosuke Ito made his sixth straight start at flyhalf, while Fijian-born winger Inoke Burua earned his first cap for Japan.
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\n Harada, 27, who spent the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season with Moana Pasifika, scored either side of halftime as Japan ran in nine tries to Canada’s two.
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\n Fellow front-rower Takato Okabe opened the scoring in the fifth minute, while Ben Gunter and Yuya Hirose also touched down as the hosts built a 31-7 lead by the break.
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\n Eddie Jones’ side struck immediately after the restart when Harada crossed after Canada spilled possession deep inside their own territory.
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\n The Brave Blossoms added four tries to one in the second half, with replacement prop Takumi Inaba marking his international debut with a five-pointer.
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\n Japan next face the United States in their first match of the Pacific Nations Cup at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka Prefecture on Sept. 12.
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\n While the Brave Blossoms are seeking to break Fiji’s recent stranglehold on the tournament, Jones said he was not looking beyond the next match.
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\n “The next game is the U.S.A., and we’ll start thinking about that tomorrow,” he said. “They’ve been improving, so we’ll deal with them first before we worry about anything after that.”
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