The All Blacks have embraced Japan and are looking forward to contesting the Rugby World Cup in a "special" country, New Zealand captain Kieran Read said Saturday after leading his side to a 37-20 win over Australia in the Bledisloe Cup. Following the victory in front of
The All Blacks have embraced Japan and are looking forward to contesting the Rugby World Cup in a “special” country, New Zealand captain Kieran Read said Saturday after leading his side to a 37-20 win over Australia in the Bledisloe Cup.
Following the victory in front of 46,143 at Nissan Stadium — a Japanese record attendance for a test match — the 33-year-old Read said his team had been deeply moved by the way they had been received in Japan.
“It’s a special place, Japan. We’ve found out this week how special it is and really embraced it,” said Read, whose team’s focus has turned from the Wallabies to next Saturday’s test against Japan at the same venue.
“We’ve got some really great fans here as well, who have really shown us great support through the week, so we’re looking forward to continuing that next week against Japan.”
The No. 8 said the Bledisloe match had provided a valuable opportunity to face world-class opposition at the venue for New Zealand’s World Cup 2019 opener against South Africa, as well as the ground where the tournament final will take place.
“In terms of the information that we’ll get for next year from the game, it was awesome to see the crowd that turned out tonight,” he said.
