It was sizzling hot Wednesday on the Glen Eagle Park rugby pitch, although nothing compared with the blazing speed exhibited by a Japan Under-17 girls touring team.

The Japanese players used their incredible foot speed and dexterous ballhandling to oust a makeshift United squad from Coquitlam 31-10 in a friendly exhibition game that left both teams parched and exhausted from the sweltering, plus-30 Celsius mid-day temperatures.

“We did very well, I think, thank you,” said Mariko Yoshioka, youth coach director for the Japan Women’s Rugby Football Federation and whose squad comprised select players from Tokyo and Osaka. “It’s important to run to spot... run and run....”

And run ragged the United players did the Japanese, who scored all their tries on outside sprints except their last one, which was a 50-metre gallop straight up the middle that caught the inexperienced United crew off guard.

“I was told this was their national team so we expected some good, talented rugby,” said United coach Steph Murphy. “I think they played a great game. They exploited the outside absolutely and, just when we got onto their game, they attacked up the middle.”

The Japanese side is set to play a team in Victoria today (Friday) in their second of a two-game Canadian series before returning home Monday to the Orient.

Murphy said while the Japanese proved impressive, it came at the expense of a much younger, inexperienced United group which only got together for practice the previous night, when only 13 players showed up.

“Our provincial teams leave for nationals next week so none of our provincial athletes were able to compete,” Murphy said.

“We had 13-year-olds up to 17-year-olds... a real mix... tons of girls who had never played together before. But it was a great experience for everybody.”