Japan hope experience will see them win RWC qualifier

TOKYO (May 24) – Japan head coach Eddie Jones said Saturday the Brave Blossoms side to face Hong Kong in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup 2015 qualifier had plenty of experience and he was hopeful they would win the Asian 5 Nations and book their ticket to England in style.

“There are 440 caps in the team so it is probably the most experienced side we have put out in the last three years. We will be short of the 600 I wanted by the time the World Cup comes but they are getting experience together as a team. Tomorrow is a chance to create new Japanese sporting history.”

The winner of Sunday’s game – the last to be played at National Stadium before it is demolished and replaced with a new arena for Rugby World Cup 2019 – will automatically represent Asia at RWC 2015.

“For the evolution of the team it is another step forward,” said Jones. “If you look at the profile of the team the forwards are generally over 25 and the backs under 25. Most of the backs will still be around for 2019, the forwards will be borderline.”

One player unlikely to figure in 2019 is 36-year-old Hitoshi Ono, who on Sunday will equal Hirotoki Onozawa as Japan’s most capped player with 81.

“Before the last three years the winning percentage of the team was 41 percent. It’s now 65 percent,” Jones said. “But that means in the bulk of his tests he was beaten and was in a scrum that was going backwards. I can’t tell you how important he is to the team. His contribution is enormous. They should build a statue of him here.”