A try from Yoshikazu Fujita on his Rugby World Cup debut has helped Japan to a 17-8 half-time lead over USA in the tournament's final pool-phase fixture.
It took the United States just a couple of minutes to register their first points of the contest, as Alan MacGinty found the sticks from an early pen after the opposition failed to roll away from the tackle.
Japan responded in superb fashion, though, breaking through Fujita before some solid handling allowed the Far East nation to string together a sweeping move which culminated in Kotaro Matsushima making a breakthrough.
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There was a special moment for Ayumu Goromaru from the follow-up, with his successful kick from the conversion taking him to the 700-point mark in Test rugby.
For large parts of the opening quarter of the match events on the field failed to match those off it, with both teams being heavily supporters at the home of Gloucester Rugby.
USA used this boisterous backing to their advantage shortly before the half-hour mark courtesy of Takudzwa Ngwenya's score, which came after his side's first real prolonged spell of pressure in the opposition's 22, but MacGinty was well short from the resulting conversion.
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Much like before, the Brave Blossoms - hosts of the next instalment of this showpiece competition in four years' time - hit back almost instantly as a result of a US fumble from the restart.
Fujita was the man to profit by picking out a gap and crossing over on his Rugby World Cup debut, ensuring that the game remained tight.
Japan were slowly able to turn the screw and assert their dominance when Goromaru split the sticks for a second time, making this officially their best ever World Cup showing in terms of points scoring, and opening up a nine-point advantage in the process.
Daniel Lewis
