IRB Video: France U20 v Japan U20 highlights
However, they were made to work hard for maximum points at times as the young Cherry Blossoms defied their seeding to make a decent fist of things in the first half.
France took the lead inside two minutes courtesy of a converted try from wing Guillaume Namy and within five minutes of that opening score, Morgan Parra’s side had doubled their advantage thanks to opposite wing Benjamin Fall’s first of the competition.
However, before the game was a dozen minutes old, Japan had struck back with a try from hooker Ryuhei Arita after a driving line-out deep inside the French 22.
That score, somewhat against the run of play, certainly buoyed the Japanese and after France had given up an opportunity to score following a wonderful drive from Raphael Lakafia, the underdogs raced the length of the field for Arita to score his second of the match.
Ryohei Yamanaka converted from the touchline to reduce the arrears to two points, but a penalty from fly half Mathieu Belie put France 17-12 to the good after 24 minutes.
One score separated the sides until No.8 Lakafia added his side’s third try three minutes before the interval.
The same player added his second two minutes into the second half from a driving lineout and when Fall outpaced the Japanese defence 90 seconds later for his second of the game, France were home and dry.
To their credit, Japan never allowed their heads to drop and even after Lakafia claimed his hat-trick with a pushover try after 56 minutes, Arita struck with his third of the game following yet another well-driven lineout.
Henry Chavancy bagged try number seven with 10 minutes remaining and Thierry Lacrampe rounded off matters with number eight in the 79th minute.
