Video: All Blacks too strong for Japan to win 1st Northern Rugby tour test with a 64-19 score line

The All Blacks overcame a spirited start by Japan to run in 10 tries on the way to a 64-19 win Saturday in the first of five matches on their Northern Hemisphere tour.

Japan scored the opening try of the match and New Zealand didn’t lead until the 15th minute when new captain Patrick Tuipulotu scored its second try. Japan scored again and almost retrieved the lead with a spectacular third try which was disallowed for a knock-on.

New Zealand eventually settled and began to pile on points, leading 43-12 at halftime. But the match at times was a shaky dress rehearsal for much tougher matches against England, Ireland and France over the next few weeks.

“We have to be more consistent in our set piece. We left a lot of lineouts out there,” Tuipulotu said. “Also our scrum, we didn’t get the good march out of it that we wanted. That will be work-on for us, especially against the good European teams that love set piece.”

The All Blacks named their heaviest-ever front row with two props weighing in at more than 300 pounds (140 kilograms) but couldn’t assert any early scrum dominance over Japan.

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