Osaka – While new Australia coach Les Kiss talked up his team’s resolve after seeing off a dogged Japan on Saturday, he was also happy to praise the opposition’s flyhalf, Ryunosuke Ito, a university student who dealt the Wallabies a few painful lessons.
Ito, 21, who had not played a professional game before he was thrust straight from college onto the national team last month, stepped through Australia’s backline to open the scoring in the 11th minute and secure his first test try.
His dazzling runs, neat chip kicks and snappy passing kept the Wallabies guessing right to the end as they eked out a 35-32 win in a helter-skelter, nine-try contest.