Controversial try earns Japan draw

BORDEAUX, France -- Japan scored a controversial injury-time try to snatch a 12-12 draw in their battle with Canada to avoid Pool B's wooden spoon at the Rugby World Cup.

Koji Taira touched down deep into overtime after referee Jonathan Kaplan refused to halt the game with Canada leading 12-5.

Tries from Pat Riordan and Dth van der Merwe had seen the Canucks overturn a half-time deficit inflicted by Kosuke Endo's brilliant solo score.

The result helped Japan avoid their 14th successive defeat in World Cups, and denied Canada the chance to maintain their record of posting a win in every tournament for which they have qualified.

Canada were undone in the first-half by Endo's superb individual try. After Japan stole the ball at the lineout, the wing steamrollered his way through the first line of defence before shrugging off another attempted tackle and touching down -- although Shotaro Onishi missed the conversion.

With the half-time whistle looming, Canada came agonisingly close to levelling but Japan produced a series of last-gasp tackles on their own tryline.

Canada unusually elected to stay out on the pitch at half-time and the tactic appeared to pay off. Seven minutes into the second half and their forward power finally told as Riordan returned from the sin bin to eventually finish off after a succession of rolling mauls. James Pritchard failed with the conversion to keep the scores level.

Canada took the lead when Morgan Williams tapped and kicked a penalty crossfield to Van der Merwe for the easiest of touchdowns. Pritchard made no mistake with the conversion.

As Canada did in the first half, Japan piled on the pressure late on but they appeared to have failed to get the try they needed when the ball went for a lineout in stoppage-time.

However, Kaplan played on and Japan poured forward again. Taira eventually touching down in the corner and Onishi kicked the conversion from out wide to spark jubilant celebrations among the Japanese players.

Meanwhile, Romania snatched a late 14-10 victory to condemn plucky Portugal to the wooden spoon in Pool C and deny veteran hooker Joaquim Ferreira a fairytale finish to his career.

The Portuguese, who were the last team to book their place in the tournament courtesy of a repechage victory over Uruguay, produced a battling performance to lead for most of their final pool match in Toulouse.

But Romania flanker Alexandru Manta spared his side's blushes with a close-range try nine minutes from the end which put them in front for the first time.

It was a cruel finish for Portugal's acting captain Ferreira, who had scored the only try of the first half to give his side the scent of a first-ever World Cup victory.

Portual have now lost 12 of their 13 meetings with the Romanians but they were in determined mood from the start against jittery opponents and scored a deserved try through their most experienced player Ferreria, who was winning his 84th and final cap.

The 34-year-old hooker, who was leading the Portugese in the absence of broken-hand victim Vasco Uva, was driven over in the 18th minute after Romania suffered a rare line-out loss on their own throw.

Fly-half Duarte Cardoso Pinto added the conversion to bring up a century of points for his country and extend the lead to 7-0, which was the half-time score.

Constant second-half pressure saw Romania eventually level in the 62nd minute when replacement hooker Marius Tincu forced his way over.

Scrum-half Valentin Calafeteanu added the conversion to tie the scores but replacement fly-half Goncalo Malheiro, Portugal's record pointscorer who was sent on for his 36th cap after an hour, restored his side's lead with a 40-meter penalty 12 minutes from the end.

However, the weight of possession told when the more physical Romania forwards drove once more for the line and Manta got the all-important touch, with fly-half Dan Dumbrava adding the conversion before hitting an upright with a late penalty. E-mail to a friend