The Japan side to play Spain at Madrid Ciudad Universitaria Stadium on Saturday shows four changes from the team that beat Russia 40-13 in Colwyn Bay, Wales, last Friday.
Hisateru Hirashima and Hiroshi Yamashita come in for Masataka Mikami and Kensuke Hatakeyama at loosehead and tighthead prop, respectively.
Takashi Kikutani returns at No. 8 in place of Ryu Koliniasi Holani, while Akihito Yamada gets his first start for Japan on the wing in the absence of Yoshikazu Fujita, who has returned to Japan.
Hirashima and Yamashita pack down either side of Shota Horie with Luke Thompson and Hitoshi Ono in the second row.
Kikutani, who won the first of his 65 caps eight years ago against Spain in Tokyo, joins Michael Broadhurst and Hendrik Tui in the back row.
Fumiaki Tanaka and Kosei Ono line up again at halfback with Yu Tamura and Male Sa’u in the centres, Yamada and captain Toshiaki Hirose on the wings and Ayumu Goromaru at fullback.
The bench sees three changes from the game against Russia.
In the forwards Mikami and Hatakeyama, who will win his 50th cap should he take to the field, swap roles with Hirashima and Yamashita.
Hiroki Yuhara is the replacement hooker, while Shinya Makabe and Justin Ives cover the second row and back row.
The replacement backs are Atsushi Hiwasa, Seiichi Shimomura and Yuta Imamura, who takes over from Yamada.
The team return from Europe following the game with the Japan Rugby Top League set to resume on the weekend of Nov. 30- Dec. 1.
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November 23, 2013 at Madrid Ciudad Universitaria Stadium vs Spain
Japan Squad Announcement
| No |
Name |
Club Team |
Graduate |
(cm) |
(kg) |
D.O.B |
Caps |
| 1 |
Hisateru HIRASHIMA  |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Fukuoka Univ. |
180 |
110 |
1983/1/15 |
28 |
| 2 |
Shota HORIE |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Teikyo Univ. |
180 |
105 |
1986/1/21 |
26 |
| 3 |
Hiroshi YAMASHITA |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
183 |
122 |
1986/1/1 |
28 |
| 4 |
Hitoshi ONO |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Nihon Univ. |
192 |
106 |
1978/5/6 |
76 |
| 5 |
Luke THOMPSON |
KINTETSU Liners |
Lincoln Univ. (NZ) |
196 |
108 |
1981/4/16 |
42 |
| 6 |
Hendrik TUI |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Teikyo Univ. |
189 |
107 |
1987/12/13 |
17 |
| 7 |
Michael BROADHURST |
RICOH BlackRams |
Campion College (NZ) |
196 |
111 |
1986/10/30 |
15 |
| 8 |
Takashi KIKUTANI |
TOYOTA Verblitz |
Osaka University of
Health and Sport Sciences |
187 |
106 |
1980/2/24 |
65 |
| 9 |
Fumiaki TANAKA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
166 |
71 |
1985/1/3 |
40 |
| 10 |
Kosei ONO |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Christchurch Boys HS (NZ) |
171 |
83 |
1987/4/17 |
21 |
| 11 |
Akihito YAMADA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Keio Univ. |
181 |
90 |
1985/7/26 |
1 |
| 12 |
Yu TAMURA |
NEC Green Rockets |
Meiji Univ. |
181 |
92 |
1989/1/9 |
16 |
| 13 |
Male SAU |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Tangaroa College (NZ) |
183 |
97 |
1987/10/13 |
12 |
| 14 |
* Toshiaki HIROSE |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Keio Univ. |
173 |
82 |
1981/10/17 |
18 |
| 15 |
Ayumu GOROMARU |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Waseda Univ. |
185 |
99 |
1986/3/1 |
32 |
| 16 |
Hiroki YUHARA |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Ryutsu Keizai Univ. |
173 |
102 |
1984/1/21 |
12 |
| 17 |
Masataka MIKAMI |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Tokai Univ. |
178 |
115 |
1988/6/4 |
12 |
| 18 |
Kensuke HATAKEYAMA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Waseda Univ. |
178 |
115 |
1985/8/2 |
49 |
| 19 |
Shinya MAKABE |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Chuo Univ. |
192 |
118 |
1987/3/26 |
19 |
| 20 |
Justin IVES |
CANON Eagles |
Taieri College (NZ) |
196 |
105 |
1984/5/24 |
15 |
| 21 |
Atsushi HIWASA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Hosei Univ. |
166 |
72 |
1987/5/22 |
29 |
| 22 |
Seiichi SHIMOMURA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Kanto Gakuin Univ. |
175 |
87 |
1981/9/20 |
5 |
| 23 |
Yuta IMAMURA |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Waseda Univ. |
178 |
93 |
1984/10/31 |
38 |
* Captain
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