Sunday the 20th of June was judgment day for the Gaijin as they came up against an All France team that had clobbered them embarrassingly earlier in the season.

After the 25 minute trek from Toda Koen Station to the ground, we all could have been forgiven for wanting a bit of a breather, especially given the energy sapping humidity that hung in the air (the beach would certainly have been a more comfortable option). The ground was a mixed bag, underwater in some places due to recent heavy rain, sandy like la plage in certain areas, and hard and fast in others but overall, better than some of the pitches we have to deal with around Tokyo.