Japan looking to use size advantage

NAGOYA (May 9) – Japan head coach Eddie Jones admitted Friday that his side may not play their usual high-pace game Saturday, at least not straight from the start.

A day before the Brave Blossoms take on Sri Lanka in the Asian 5 Nations, Jones said the most important thing was simply to get a win.

“We might play a little bit differently from how we normally play. The whole aim is to win as this is a Rugby World Cup qualifier. So it might not be the traditional Japanese approach,” he said after his team’s final training run at Mizuho Rugby Ground.

With the Japan pack weighing in at 891 kilograms, 85 kg more than the opposition, Jones said he would be looking at his team outpowering the Sri Lankans early on, to create a platform that would eventually allow the backs to play an expansive game.

“The boys are a little tired as they trained hard this week,” he said. “But they need to work through it.”

When asked if he had set the team any goals, Jones said “We’re not really sure of the strength of the opposition so it is hard to know exactly what to check. But we’ve been working on players solving problems themselves on the field.”

“Without getting ahead of ourselves we need a team – if we get to the World Cup – that can solve problems themselves during a game.”

With Hitoshi Ono set to become the second most capped player in Japan rugby history, Jones took time to praise the contribution of the 36-year-old.

“It’s unbelievable. It must be something in the water he drinks. He is a real example to the rest of the team. He may not have the best body in the world but he always finds a way to go forward and trains really hard.”