Italy Women kicked off their autumn campaign with a draw after a late Japan try denied them victory in a thriller at Stadio Tommaso Fattori.
The Azzurre dominated for extended periods but a score from Seina Saito was enough to crush their hopes and deliver a blow to their confidence heading into their game against England next weekend.
It was a fast start to the match despite the heavy rainfall, with the visitors taking an early lead thanks to a try from wing Kasai.
But the hosts hit back straight, as fellow winger Sofia Stefan capitalised on a Noriko Taniguchi yellow card to dot down and restore parity in the contest.
Italy turned the tables round towards the end of the first period, when a second try from the dangerous Stefan and extras from Michela Sillari looked to have sent the Azzurre into the break with the lead.
But it wasn’t to be, as the Cherry Blossoms delivered a blow to Italy’s chances on the stroke of half-time with a score from captain Saki Minami to alter the dynamic of Andrea Di Giandomenico’s team talk.
Japan excelled after the break despite the unfavourable conditions, moving the ball slickly between their backline to help carve out multiple scoring opportunities.
But the hosts rallied defiantly, eventually creating a period of sustained pressure themselves that paid dividends midway through the second half.
After spending an extended spell in Japan territory, hooker Lucia Cammarano finally found an opening from an advancing maul to augment Italy’s lead to seven points.
The away side refused to give in, however, continuing the exchanging of tries with just over ten minutes remaining as Saito went over and Ai Hirayama added the extras to make for a compelling finale.
And it was the Cherry Blossoms who dominated the closing passages of play, continuing to impress with their slick handling and consistently causing Di Giandomenico’s team problems.
But the Italy defence held firm, avoiding defeat and beginning their autumn season with a hard-earned point heading into their trip to Goldington Road next weekend.
