Japan hoping to upset Wales

OSAKA (June 7) – Japan coach Eddie Jones said his team were in perfect condition and that there would be no excuses for a poor performance when they take on Wales on Saturday at Hanazono Stadium.

“It’s good weather for running rugby and a chance for us to play our stye of rugby,” he said following his team’s final practice session.

“We have prepared really well but it’s important we don’t watch Wales and play our own game, especially on the first part of the game. Against Tonga we sat back for the first 40 minutes, while last week in Fiji we didn’t adapt to the conditions as well as the Fijians. Tomorrow is a different ball game. We are playing one of the top 5 sides in the world in good conditions. There is supposed to be 15,000 turning up which in recent years is a great crowd for the Japan national team so I hope we can play our part and play well.”

Vice-captain and fullback Ayumu Goromaru said Saturday’s game was one the team had been targeting and that “winning is everything.”

“We need to make a step up from the Fiji game and really work on our game control,” he said. “We need to play at speed, with tempo and with skill – the Japan Way.”

Jones was an advisor to Suntory when they beat Wales 12 years ago and he said the Brave Blossoms needed to emulate the way his former club had played.

“We need to start the game fast. If a lower ranked team plays a higher ranked team then there is only a 30 percent chance they can win if they are not leading at halftime.”

Following Saturday’s game in Osaka, both teams travel to Tokyo, where the second test will be played at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground on June 15.

Japan recently won the first stage of the Asian qualifying process for Rugby World Cup 2015. Victory in the HSBC Asian Five Nations will see them qualify for their eighth straight tournament. They will make it nine straight when they host Rugby World Cup 2019.