TOKYO (May 8) – Japan head coach Eddie Jones named his side Thursday for Saturday’s Asian 5 Nations game with Sri Lanka in Nagoya.
The team shows six changes from the side that started last week’s 99-10 win over the Philippines.
Takeshi Kizu, Hitoshi Ono, Shinya Makabe and Ryu Koliniasi Holani return to the pack, while Yasuki Hayashi and Akihito Yamada are named in the backs.
Ono, who came off the bench last week, will become Japan’s second most capped player when he takes to the field at Mizuho Park Rugby Ground. The second row, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, will be playing his 79th game for his country, two short of the record held by Hirotoki Onozawa.
Kizu packs down between Masataka Mikami and Kensuke Hatakeyama in the front row, with Ono locking down with Makabe in the engine room.
Holani takes over from Hayden Hopgood at No. 8 with Hendrik Tui and captain Michael Leitch retaining their spots in the back row.
Atsushi Hiwasa and Atsushi Tamura line up again at scrumhalf and flyhalf, respectively, with Hayashi picked at inside centre.
Daishi Murata keeps the No. 13 jersey, while Yamada is named with Yoshikazu Fujita on the wing with Ayumu Goromaru at fullback.
Jones has named six forwards on the bench and just two backs.
Yusuke Nagae, Hiroki Yuhara and Hiroshi Yamashita provide the front row cover, with Shoji Ito the back-up lock and Takashi Kikutani and Kyosuke Horie the reserve back row forwards.
Then two backs on the bench are scrumhalf Keisuke Uchida and utility back Kotaro Matsushima.
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Japan Team Announcement for Rugby World Cup 2015 Asia qualifier at the Asian Five Nations Tournament against Sri Lanka at Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium in Achi, Nagoya on Saturday May 10th Kick Off 18:00
| No |
Name |
Club Team |
Graduate |
(cm) |
(kg) |
D.O.B |
Caps |
| 1 |
Masataka MIKAMI |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Tokai Univ. |
178 |
116 |
1988/6/4 |
14 |
| 2 |
Takeshi KIZU |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Tokai Univ. |
183 |
114 |
1988/7/15 |
23 |
| 3 |
Kensuke HATAKEYAMA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Waseda Univ. |
178 |
115 |
1985/8/2 |
51 |
| 4 |
Hitoshi ONO |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Nihon Univ. |
192 |
104 |
1978/5/6 |
78 |
| 5 |
Shinya MAKABE |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Chuo Univ. |
192 |
117 |
1987/3/26 |
20 |
| 6 |
Hendrik TUI |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Teikyo Univ. |
189 |
109 |
1987/12/13 |
19 |
| 7 |
*
Michael LEITCH |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Tokai Univ. |
190 |
105 |
1988/10/7 |
30 |
| 8 |
Ryu Koliniasi HOLANI |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Saitama Institute of
Technology Univ. |
188 |
111 |
1981/10/25 |
28 |
| 9 |
Atsushi HIWASA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Hosei Univ. |
166 |
73 |
1987/5/22 |
31 |
| 10 |
Yu TAMURA |
NEC Green Rockets |
Meiji Univ. |
181 |
91 |
1989/1/9 |
18 |
| 11 |
Yoshikazu FUJITA |
Waseda Univ. 3rd Year |
Higashi Fukuoka HS |
184 |
92 |
1993/9/8 |
13 |
| 12 |
Yasuki HAYASHI |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Ritsumeikan Univ. |
176 |
85 |
1985/4/26 |
1 |
| 13 |
Daishi MURATA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Waseda Univ. |
182 |
87 |
1988/5/29 |
1 |
| 14 |
Akihito YAMADA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Keio Univ. |
181 |
87 |
1985/7/26 |
2 |
| 15 |
Ayumu GOROMARU |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Waseda Univ. |
185 |
100 |
1986/3/1 |
34 |
| 16 |
Yusuke NAGAE |
TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION Shuttles |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
171 |
105 |
1985/7/19 |
16 |
| 17 |
Hiroki YUHARA |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Ryutsu Keizai Univ. |
173 |
107 |
1984/1/21 |
14 |
| 18 |
Hiroshi YAMASHITA |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
183 |
122 |
1986/1/1 |
30 |
| 19 |
Shoji ITO |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
191 |
100 |
1980/12/2 |
19 |
| 20 |
Takashi KIKUTANI |
CANON Eagles |
Osaka University of
Health and Sport Sciences |
187 |
104 |
1980/2/24 |
66 |
| 21 |
Kyosuke HORIE |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Meiji Univ. |
183 |
104 |
1990/7/11 |
1 |
| 22 |
Keisuke UCHIDA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Univ. of Tsukuba |
177 |
84 |
1992/2/22 |
5 |
| 23 |
Kotaro MATSUSHIMA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Toin Gakuen HS |
175 |
83 |
1993/2/26 |
1 |
*Captain
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