Jones impressed by team’s mental attitude

FUKUOKA (May 8) – Japan coach Eddie Jones said he was impressed by his side’s mental attitude ahead of Saturday’s Asia Rugby Championship game with South Korea at Level-5 Stadium.

“We probably had a harder training run this week than last,” he said following his side’s final training run.

“But that’s the same situation as the World Cup. We want to be at 100 percent for our opening game against South Africa, but we then have just four days before we play Scotland and it will be impossible to be at 100 percent. But that’s the same for everyone. Look at South Africa. They are bashing one another in Super Rugby at the moment. That’s the reality. But the players are starting to understand it and they were mentally a lot sharper today.”

Jones has included speedsters Kenki Fukuoka and Yoshikazu Fujita on the wing and he is hoping the university students will play some exciting rugby.

“Fujita won the MVP award from the team last week even though he came off the bench,” he said. “He won it for how hard he worked off the ball not what he did with it as that creates opportunities. And Fukuoka is looking even quicker than before, though the big question is how often he can repeat it.”

Of the two other changes to the side that see Kazuhiko Usami start a test in his hometown and Hisateru Hirashima don the No. 1 jersey, Jones said, “We are mixing and matching a little. This is a great opportunity to appeal for a place at the World Cup.”

Jones said the scrum remained an area that needed to work as Japan try new techniques in the set piece but he was hopeful it would be a lot stronger than last week when the Brave Blossoms struggled with the referee’s interpretation.

“We need to learn how to manage the referee,” he said.