Jones names side for final RWC warm-up game

LONDON (Sept. 4) – Japan coach Eddie Jones has named the Brave Blossoms side for their final Rugby World Cup warm-up game.

Japan take on Georgia on Saturday at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium, the venue of their World Cup clashes with Scotland and the United States, with a team that shows four changes and one positional switch to the side that took the field last weekend in Tokyo against Uruguay.

 
Hendrik Tui moves from No. 8 to the wing for the match against the physical Georgians, who beat Japan 35-24 in Tbilisi in November 2014.

 
Meanwhile, there are two changes in personnel in the pack with Hiroshi Yamashita coming in at tighthead prop, and Ryu Koliniasi Holani at No. 8.

 
 Yamashita packs down alongside Shota Horie and Masataka Mikami, with Luke Thompson and Hitoshi Ono in the second row.

 
Holani lines up with captain Michael Leitch and Michael Broadhurst in the back row.

 
In the backs, Harumichi Tatekawa returns at flyhalf and links up with Fumiaki Tanaka.

 
Craig Wing and Male Sa’u retain their spots in the centre, while Yoshikazu Fujita returns on the other wing to form a back three along with Tui and fullback Ayumu Goromaru.

 
On the bench, Takayuki Watanabe, who didn’t make the Rugby World Cup squad, is named as one of the back-up props along with Kensuke Hatakeyama, with Takeshi Kizu the reserve hooker.

 
Shinya Makabe and Amanaki Lelei Mafi both look set to continue their return from injury with spells off the bench, while the reserve backs are Atsushi Hiwasa, Kosei Ono and Kotaro Matsushima.

*Captain