Day 9

Wales vs Wallabies 

WOW. The Rugby World Cup is well and truly alive!

Wales set out to keep the scoreboard ticking over whether it were to be from a drop kick, penalty or dotting down over the white line.
You couldn’t fault Wales in the first 15 minutes as they mounted the pressure on the Wallabies, but the men in Gold kept in touch with the Welsh with overlap and cross kick to veteran Adam Ashley Cooper to score in the corner.

Yes, there was controversy during the match from the TMO, calling back a strong carry from Kerevi, resulting in 3 points and another 7 straight from the kick off from Welsh halfback Gareth Davies with another controversial intercept who looked offside at first glance, but that’s rugby. Some calls go against you and sometimes the bounce of the ball goes your way.

Credit to the Welsh men, their game management for 55 minutes of the match was far superior to the Wallabies in comparison and they did deserve the win.
The Wallabies also looked like a different team in the 2nd half, and when they held onto the ball and built phases they looked as though they were going take the lead.

The Wallabies will feel hard done by, but they do have themselves to blame with some questionable plays and selections.
The energy that White and To’omua brought from the bench really sparked the team, as opposed to the starting pair of Genia and Foley that looked to be really delayed with their delivery.

The 2nd man release ball is a common theme of all teams in this tournament, but the problem that many teams have (and the Wallabies suffered from) was by the time the first receiver released behind the pack to the pivot behind, Wales had already come up fast off the line to put the pressure on, James O’Connor at the best of times would have a man already in his face when he got his hands on the ball.

What the Wallabies need to do is get a man on the inside shoulder of that carrier (e.g. O’Connor), so he’s got an option of a quick tip inside – whether it’s the inside winger or a loose forward.
Poor O’Connor did his best with the delayed ball he was receiving.

The bright side for the Wallabies is that they can still improve from that performance, they’re still a chance in this tournament and will will still make it through to the next round.

The Welsh will go into the next 3 games with their tails up (deservedly) and with the confidence knowing that they can close out those tight matches.

Day 8

Argentina vs Tonga 

The 10-game losing streak has been broken!
Argentina will be relieved to finally get across the line after a long win drought, even if it was a scrappy 2nd half performance.

In the first 30 minutes of the game the Pumas were in the drivers seat with the ball on a string and playing like they should have vs the French 7 days earlier.

Observations….

A much better performance from the Pumas in the first half but the second half they just let Tonga dictate the match, the danger for the Pumas is their midfield. They were exposed again this week with the Tongans getting on the outside of their markers, and were on the front foot on attack creating the easy 3 on 2 on the outside.
If the Pumas want to be serious contenders then Mario Ledsma has to make some hard decisions with selections.

If Tonga can stay hungry and keep the physicality with ball in hand with the constant attacking mentality then they will really challenge the French, who the Pumas are hoping will go in their favour with Tonga getting the W.

Ireland vs Japan

THE SHIZUOKA SHOCKER!!

What a game! I think during the 60th minute mark when the momentum shifted to Japan and you started to believe the unthinkable that we all “turned a little Japanese” inside.

Japan created the extra man on the edges which lead to tries on the wing with a simple draw and pass.
On defence, the Japanese were ready for the release ball out the back and shut down the Irish attack forcing them to track inside, take the ball into contact, a pressured pass to the outsides that had no time with the rushed defence or it lead to an intercept.
The Irish did adapt and start attacking closer to the ruck, but by then the Japanese were throwing their bodies at every ball carrier and the 2nd or 3rd player would be over the ball to contest.

Observations….

Ireland seem a different team without Johnny Sexton at the helm, guiding the ship along. This loss isn’t going to fade Ireland, it won’t dent their confidences they’ve shown in the past they can bounce back from losses and are a different team come the big games.
It is an embarrassing loss and draws unwanted attention to the side with all of the interviews to come in the next week before their 3rd match will no doubt draw attention and reflection back to this game.
The Irish camp will bin this and focus on the next game.

Japan know that one box is ticked, now the key for them is to knock over Scotland or Manu Samoa, this is going to be the real test for Jamie Josephs management of his squad over the last 4 years.
Can they get up with the same intensity and urgency on defence against the remaining teams?

They need to if they want to make history and get through to the next round.

Day 7

Canada vs Italy

Italy played the first 10 minutes of the game like a team that was a class above, Italian Head Coach Conor O’Shea mentioned before they game that they needed to start well, be physical and but nail their roles, and they did just that.

Canada looked like a deer in the headlights, and made Italy look like a brand new Ferrari cruising the streets.

At the 17 minute mark Canada had the best chance of scoring with an open line bomb a certain try right in front of the sticks, and to be fair it wasn’t so much Heatons fault dropping the ball but number 8 Tyler Ardron just holding onto the ball too long.

You just felt Canada had missed their chance with all the momentum but no points to show for it.

For the rest of the match it was the Canadians game for the taking, with all of the possession but no runs on the board, a break would lead to a penalty, a drop ball or wayward pass.
Italy on the other hand took their opportunities and kept building and making Canada pay.

Observations…..

Italy looked like a different side then the team that took on Georgia, Braam Steyn at number 8 was the player of the match for me. A smart number 8 and very mobile, he should be starting vs South Africa and the All Blacks if they want to be a chance.

The real question for Canada, what have you been doing the last 20 or so years?
I know the 7s game has taken precedence over 15s rugby in the country (well it seems from afar), but the game looks stale.
There were some standout players for Canada, like Matt Heaton, Dth Van Der Merwe who always looked like a threat, but it doesn’t look like it’s getting better in Canada anytime soon. But hey, I could be wrong we can put it down to first game nerves, so lets see how they go in game 2.

England vs USA 

There was lots of noise coming from the USA camp and in the back of your mind you were thinking the impossible…. could the USA claim the second upset of the Cup?
Is the “sleeping giant” finally awake?
Will we see the fruits of the MLR (Major League Rugby) start to ripen and blossom?

Well it didn’t.

In general play USA could match England and were able to make their first up tackles and put pressure on defence, then England realised line out drives and set piece was where they needed to wear down the Eagles pack – and it worked!

England with the direction of Willi Heinz and 9 and the class of George Ford, ensured the English Rose kept their nerve and stayed on track during this RWC.

Observations…..

Not all is lost for USA rugby, they looked like a much better outfit than in previous years on the big stage, it likely needs another 4 solid years for the MLR to continue to grow and get the next generation of university graduates to come through and familiarise themselves with professional rugby life, but hopefully it is a sign of things to come.
At the moment they are very structured which is great, but at this level you’re not going to beat the big boys with that itself, you need the X-Factor players who are a constant threat across the park.

England are tracking nicely and will be happy with that result after almost a totally new team to the team that played against Tonga a few days ago.

Day 6

Fiji vs Uruguay 

Upset of the RWC – TICK !

If you put Uruguay to win in your TAB multi you’re a very happy person right now.

Uruguay were persistent on disrupting the Fijians on defence, with the Fijians being so casual throughout the first half it made it easy for Uruguay to get up off the line and gang tackle the big Fijian ball runners.

ACCURACY was what was missing from the Fijians today, when they were in the clear the ball carrier would either:
a) Hold onto the ball for too long and missed the opportunity
b) A pass would go behind the support player
or c) Just get the timing wrong and either get bundled into touch or run away from their support player

This wasn’t the team that took it to the Wallabies just days earlier.
The day though belongs to Uruguay, they took their opportunities, they turned their passion into points and deserved the win.

Observations…..

John McKee summed it up perfectly, “credit to Uruguay the way they played this afternoon and the attitude that they brought to the game….. (for us) we were off the pace of the game”

From the body language of the Fijians, they cruised throughout the match and always thought they could comeback to win – unfortunately for them, it’s only an 80 minute match and time just ran out for them.
John McKee hit the nail on the head when he said that the attitude between the two teams was the difference, Uruguay played like a team that had nothing to lose, and Fiji were just too casual. It was summed up when kicker, Josh Matavesi missed two “simple” conversions and was smiling about it….. as a player and a coach, that sort of attitude and reaction would have you fuming.

What happens now?
Fiji have all but guaranteed their exit from the RWC after just 4 days, whereas Uruguay may have another win in them against Georgia who they no doubt  already targeting that match.

Day 5

Manu Samoa vs Russia 

The Russians started the match much like they did agains the Cherry Blossoms on opening night, they almost shocked the Samoans by scoring first (almost), and kept in touch with the Samoans with the boot.

Yes the Samoans were reduced to 13 men with some dubious tackles, but they kept calm and let loose in the 2nd stanza.

The bench of Manu Samoa were effectively the difference in the game, they brought the energy needed at the top level and when the Russians started to fade, the replacements stepped up.
Alapati Leiua was an on-going threat the entire match.

Observations…..

Manu Samoa are a chance vs the Scottish and confirm their spot in the next stage of the tournament but they must hold onto the pill and dictate the game unlike how they let Russia do so during the 1st half.
Manu Samoas standout was Kane Lea’upepe. The man is having a massive season, going from being in the wider squad for 3 different Super teams (Chiefs, Crusaders and Hurricanes), to locking  in a 2 year contract with the Hurricanes and looking like a THE player to watch for the Samoans.

I’m liking the potential I’m seeing from Russia as this RWC progresses, for a so called “minnow team” to have a 4 day turn around and push the Samoans to start getting their act together is a massive effort.

I’ll say it now, USA is no longer the “sleeping giant” of rugby, it’s the Russians…. Keep it up Russia !

Day 4

Georgia vs Wales

“Nothing to see here, move along, move along….”

Out of all the games in the last few days I was actually expecting Georgia to put up a solid fight against the Welsh, who throughout the match just look cool, calm and collected shooting to a 22-0 lead midway through the first half.

Wales didn’t seem to be phased at all by the Georgians, they cruised throughout the match even with the Georgians coming back stronger in the 2nd half.

Observations….

It’s going to be hard for Georgia to win a game outside of the Uruguay match with some a big pack, realistically they’re playing 3 number 8s on the loose with Tkhilaishvili (at 6), Gorgadze (at 8) and the legend Gorgodze (at 7)
All big strong men but not quick enough to the breakdown for the likes of Wales and will struggle against Hooper and the Wallabies, and the dynamic Fijian loose trio.

The Georgians skill-set is second to none though, they show glimpses that they can play, but like Argentina rugby many moons ago, they have to be more than a dominant scrummaging side, there needs to be some creativity against the big teams – and hold onto the pill !

Wales will get better as this tournament progresses, Gatland is quietly confident and you can tell they were holding back, making sure they didn’t suffer any injuries throughout the game.
I have a feeling Wales will show their a “big game” team as we go deeper into the RWC.
Georgia down, bring on the next contender….

On another note
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that teams are well offside trying to “line-speed” but not being called by the match officials?

Hmmmm….

Day 3

Italy vs Namibia

If you wanted to show a friend who’s never followed rugby before a game to get them excited and highlight what the sport is all about, this is probably not the game you want to take them to.

It was always going to be a difficult game to get excited about but there were glimpses of brilliance in an error ridden match.

One thing I noticed is that every time a mistake was made by Italy, they would look at one another puzzled, and ask why the other did what they did, whether it was a pass that went to ground, or giving a penalty away or any error made.

Italy won the game comfortably after an early challenge from Namibia.

Observations…..

Where are we at with Italian rugby? There seems to be little to no progress over the last decade, and exposure to the Six Nations championship.
How can this team improve before the next RWC, let alone start attracting some serious attention in their own nation so they can get some solid development and progress.

For Namibia, it’s a great achievement reaching the RWC for a nation like them, but it’s going to be a long tournament for the team with the All Blacks and South Africa waiting in the wings.

Ireland vs Scotland

You could hear the atmosphere through the TV screen right from kick off, you could see the passion in all the players eyes in both sides during the national anthems.

It was all Ireland in the first 15 minutes of the match. Yes, there’s a bit of controversy whether Ireland truly are the “number 1” side in the world through the rankings, but their dominance and execution showed why this is one of their best ever chances for their first ever RWC title.

Scotland were a one man gang with Stuart Hogg cleaning up at the back and excellent kicking into space.
At the 30 minute mark it was 19-3 to Ireland but Scotland had the higher possession rating, go figure, the Scots couldn’t turn that into points.

The second half didn’t help either team as it turned into the inside of a slushy machine with the rain coming down, and the games standards skills & started dropping.

It turned into a kicking dual, with the Irish getting the better of the Scots dotting down on the 56th minute, Conor Murray putting an up and under which was cleaned up by the Irish fullback who then sent winger Conway into the corner.

Observations….

Ireland were always going to be a class above Scotland, it’s like the game you play when you know you’re more dominant than your opposition and the most challenging part is to try your best not to sink down to their level.
At time Ireland showed their dominance, but at the same time they did at times seem like they were in the twilight zone and trying to run the clock down.
The big win for Ireland is that they’ve come through the game unscathed with no injuries.

The Scots, well…. there’s just no creativity on attack.
I counted 6 times during the match when they gave the back door pass which ended in Stuart Hogg catching and pummelled by an Irish defender.  It’s as if the only attacking game plan was to get the ball to Hogg and hope for the best, in saying that, Hogg was an absolute soldier who constantly tried to spark his team.
Will Scotland get better? I hope so, but at the moment they look like a team that has been running team runs at training where it all looks good, until an opposition is put in front of you, then there’s trouble.

England vs Tonga

Tonga didn’t have the best build up with a 90 odd point hiding vs the All Blacks so in the first 10 minutes they controlled the game well when they had the ball, and England were shaking off the rust.

England had some great opportunities on the back of lethal weapon Elliot Daly who was fantastic under the high ball and running the ball back with some spice.
Tonga kept the pressure on the entire first half even with the English stretching out to a 15-3 lead at halftime.

England were still in 2nd gear in the first half and the game was being played at a comfortable pace that the Tongans could handle and kept the English within striking distance.

Observations…..

If you try compare Englands result vs Tonga to the All Blacks a few weeks ago and think “Nah England is no chance” then you’re comparing apples with oranges.
England were shaking off the nerves and cobwebs throughout the game, there was some obvious frustration a times when Owen Farrell would have a go at teammates, officials and at times himself, but thats just hi competitive nature.

England will keep building from here and I think we all want to see the “best” teams such as England, Ireland, Wales, the Springboks, the Wallabies and the All Blacks go at it come finals time. Until then, you’ll see teams drop their standards now and then, but the big teams will rise for the big occasions.

Tonga have the potential to scalp a big victim in this pool of death, if they bring the physicality against the French then we could see a repeat of 2011. Argentina have had their players (for the Jaguares) in the South African Conference for  the last 3 years and won’t be phased by big bruising encounters like what they’ll face from Ikale Tahi, but what is certain is that the Tongans have learnt a hell of a lot from playing the All Blacks a few weeks ago on how to take control of their own ball and securing possession in the breakdown.

What a RWC it has been already !
After all of the build up day was one of the most entertaining days of rugby we’ve seen in years.

Day 1

Japan vs Russia

They say Japan had 4 years to build up to this RWC opener vs Russia and at the start of the match you could see the early nerves. with Russia taking the early lead through a hashed take under the high ball from Tupou.

Japan rallied back and eventually in the second half took over with a 30-10 win.

To be fair it wasn’t the most entertaining matches, but it was grea to see Russia with their fighting spirit.

I hope Vladimir Putin was watching this match to see the type of potential this Russian team has, and you never know what a bit more investment could do for Russian rugby in the future….

Day 2

Wallabies vs Fiji

This game did not disappoint !

Fiji were up for it and made very carry, every tackle count.
Lead by inspirational captain Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Reece Hodge probably thought ‘why is everyone picking on me with a few bump offs from the Fijians, but you have to give Reece credit, he kept running great lines and carrying the ball with confidence even if it meant being smashed around a bit, he always stepped up and never backed down.

Fiji went into the half ahead and with all of the momentum.

At halftime, the Wallabies realised ‘Mate we should just hold onto the ball so these big bruising Fijians stop hurting us’ and they did exactly that.

The Wallabies starved the Fijians of the ball for 6-8 minute periods, and when they did turn the ball over the Wallabies suffocated the Fijians on defence.
They deflated the Fijians and the momentum had all but fizzed away in the 2nd half, after all of the tackling they had to do they had nothing left in the tank.

The Wallabies rolling mauls were a saviour for the team and showed how can it can be a weapon for teams that face big sides, get low, drive the legs and control the ball – tick, tick and tick.

The Fijians showed a lot of promise and will look back at that match as the one that got away.

An Observation….

There’s something about the Wallabies that pacific island nation teams seem to exploit, we’ve seen it over the years and even in recent weeks with their final RWC warm up match vs Manu Samoa.

It’s not an arrogance, because the Wallabies aren’t that type of team, but almost a soft underbelly thats always exploited by teams from the islands.

In comparison, the All Blacks seem to be the big bogey team for teams such as Fiji, Manu Samoa and Ikale Tahi Tonga, but vs the Wallabies they seem to grow and arm and the confidence soars.
It’s a culture change that the Wallabies will want to work on as one day it could prove costly at another RWC.

France vs Los Pumas

It was always going to be a massive match between these two teams, in the in nicknamed “pool of death”.

France did what France do, they live for World Cups. The first half they took over the game and were all over the Pumas.

Romain Ntamack (9) and Antoine Dupont (10) kicking games were on point and constantly putting the Pumas under the pump.

You had to scratch your head on what the actual game plan was for the proud Argentinean team in the first 40.

The second half was a different story, I have no doubt Mario Ledesma let his side know to go back to the basics and hold onto the ball.
With ball in hand, the Pumas made their intentions known by storming back from 20-3 at halftime to 21-20 in the 68th minute.

But you could just sense this wasn’t enough against the French.
For some reason, the Pumas started putting the ball in the air to try put the French under pressure when all they needed to do was play the ball inside the French half and centre the game in front of the posts draw potential penalties which would no doubt come via French frustration.

The French came back deservedly to win the game, you’ve got to admire how the French just seem down and out, but they hang in there and strike at the perfect time.

Observations…..

This is going to send cries all over Argentina, but Nicholas Sanchez is not the man who’s going to steer the nation to their first RWC Title.
The game management just isn’t there and is what is needed for the Pumas, little chip kicks and constantly turning to the referee and asking for penalties does nothing for the team.

I would’ve like to see Jaguars 10, Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, be rewarded for a great season with the Super Rugby side and get a chance to shine at the RWC. He can distribute, he runs the game well and proved he can step up vs South African, Australian and New Zealand Super sides.

All Blacks vs Springboks

AAll Blacks left wing George Bridge scoring during their RWC2019 match at International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan. Rugby World Cup. 21 September, 2019. NZ Herald Photograph by Mark Mitchell
NZH 22Sep19 –

What.A.Game.

I spent most of the time yelling at the TV in excitement and nervousness….

The first 15 minutes it was all the Springboks, they were playing with such confidence and everything they touched turned to gold.

The All Blacks just weren’t in the game and you felt this could be the Springboks game to lose. Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett fittingly went “not on my watch” and the two playmakers started orchestrating & fixing the All Blacks attack with some pinpoint kicking and putting players into space.
It’s as if you blinked and the All Blacks were 0-3 to 17-3 in a matter of minutes.

In the second half, the Springboks shot off to a strong start and at 17-10 in the 47th minute and then came on the changes, which had both teams going pound for pound, big hits, big carries, trading penalties and points ‘titt-for-tatt’.

Eventually, the All Blacks pulled through with the win adapting their game on the run, and the leaders like Ardie Savea making crucial turnovers and stifling any potential momentum swing back to the Boks.

Observations….

Interesting selections for the All Blacks over the last few months and with this week leaving certain names out of the squad for the game, but I’ve noticed the All Blacks from the Richie, DC, Nonu, Snakey, Kaino era has evolved. Those players were the most reliable players you could ever ask for, you knew what they were going to do, you just didn’t know how to stop it.

Now, the All Blacks have a different balance, they have mix of workers with their tight 5 and Sam Cane at 7, they now look to have two game drivers in the backs with Mo’unga and Barrett (something that has to be credited back to the British Lions in 2017 with Sexton and Farrell) and players who will work but also the X-Factor to break a game open, with Reece, Bridge, and Ardie – throw in the best passing 9 in the modern game, Aaron Smith, and this All Blacks team looks pretty good to create history with a three-peat, only time will tell.

Japan first 6 months – a coaches perspective part2

In my last post (can we link) I’d quickly concluded I loved my new professional coaching role with Kyoto Sangyo University in Japan!  But I also mentioned there were already some very real challenges like my poor language skills, isolation from family and friends, and just the way Japan rugby works. 

What’s happened since?

The whirlwind has continued as we dived into our competitive season in the Kansai University League. Thanks to some close wins we’ve been successful in our Kansai League having won 6 from 7, so finished second to last years national semi finalists Tenri University. That qualifies us as one of the Top 16 university teams into the 54^th All Japan University Championships, sudden death playoffs which takes place from mid-December to early-January. I get the impression the Kanto League, comprising Tokyo clubs, is generally a tougher competition so I look forward to testing ourselves against the top qualifiers from the other regions.

Our in season routine has settled into morning gym sessions (1.5hrs) and then evening training sessions (usually 2.5hrs plus). That happens every day of the week except game day or our one day off a week! As coaches we’re also reviewing and scouting, and completing 1:1s with players as required, so there’s no shagging about.

How about those challenges?

Coaching to an audience who speak another language continues to be a huge challenge. To help I’ve dived into learning ‘Nihongo’ (Japanese language) through self study on pod casts and twice weekly classes at the University. I’ve really enjoyed the mental stimulation of studying a new language, though realistically I haven’t yet progressed past the 101s such as greetings and ordering food (‘hanbaaga, kudasai!’).

But through a mix of mime, the patience of multilingual staff like our physio Awaji Yasuhiro, and key rugby phrases (totemo yoi – very good, zenzen dame – not good at all, hikui mama – stay low) we seem to get through. The lows have been when I’ve made sessions overly complex leading to confused stares and inactive participants. A recent high was when I got to run a full training of the freshman teams (49 players) without the other coaches or an interpreter; you can bet we went shorter and more games that day!

Another challenge has simply been isolation from family and friends. It was a long 3 months before my wife Tania was able to visit in October, but great to share tourist adventures when she did get here. Of course technology helps, making video call catch ups with friends and family easy. I’ve also been lucky to have connections in the rugby community who understand this isolation and reach out to support; quick chats or the occasional facebook from ‘been there done that’ guys who are naturally positive blokes like Filo Tiatia or Afa Hanipale make a big difference to your day.

The other big challenge is that things just work differently in Japanese rugby. Talking to other rugby folk some of the differences sound common – preference for long trainings with high contact and high repetition – while some differences probably depend on the particular club situation.

I’ve been lucky to be guided in this by our head coach Yukio Motoki, a Brave Blossoms and Kobe Steel legend at centre, with 79 caps and 4 World Cups on his resume. Despite his capability most decisions at our club require sign off by our Director of Rugby, Onishi sensei.

Onishi sensei with 42 years in the role can rightly claim to be the driving force at this club. He’s very clear on his priorities for play and unlikely to be swayed from them, preferring a simple direct approach where good performance comes from players trying as hard as they can.
As a result we are famous for driving every lineout (!) and physical repetitive scrum trainings focussed on controlled driving. Suggestions to make significant changes are unlikely to be persuasive.

In practice this can be frustrating; can’t they see the opportunity if we did it this way instead?
What I’ve realised is that some in Japanese culture can have a different view of what constitutes a good opportunity. They seem to question whether it really is an opportunity worth pursuing if it might not be a longterm solution (i.e. won’t we soon change again)? And even if it is, what’s the rush, wouldn’t it be better to chip away at it?
Overlay this with the need to prioritise respect for those older or in authority, who may already have their preferred methods, and it can seem closed minded or intractable to a newbie like me trying to influence certain changes.

This has required me to work differently; be patient, look to plant seeds not chop trees. To always be ready with good supporting information if ever I did want to push an issue. To show respect by finding ways to let them front any initiatives. Once I focussed on these approaches I’d often see our Sensei come back a couple days later and implement an idea he may have initially appeared to disagree with.

The other part of influencing change here seems to be to take care with relationships. Filipe Rayasi, the ex-Fiji Rugby and Japanese top league star, made a throw away comment to me at just the right time “hey, over there make sure you turn up every day with a smile on your face”.
So Filipe! But actually a perfect reminder for a time when I was tired and frustrated and it was probably showing. The simple change of making sure I appeared cheerful and engaged visibly led to me being sought out on issues and more actively involved. Probably I just appeared more approachable and supportive!

Whats next?

Our focus now is preparing for the All Japan University Championship this month. I’m pleased Ritzumeikan University has made it through as well with their coach staff including my friends Katsu Takeuchi and Daisuke Akai who have both featured in Wellington rugby.  Add Tania’s next visit, my first Christmas here, and further learnings about University rugby in Japan and I expect an exciting month!

I’ll let you all know how that goes in the New Year – Toki up!!

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