Japan make changes for Scotland game

BRIGHTON, England (Sept. 21) – Japan coach Eddie Jones has named his side to take on Scotland on Wednesday in Gloucester, the Brave Blossoms’ second game of Rugby World Cup 2015.

The starting XV for the Pool B encounter shows four changes in the pack, two in the backs along with two positional switches.

Keita Inagaki and Hiroshi Yamashita start at prop, Justin Ives comes in at lock and Amanaki Lelei Mafi is handed the No. 8 jersey.

Behind the pack, Harumichi Tatekawa moves from 12 to 10, Yu Tamura starts at inside center and Kenki Fukuoka is picked on the left wing with Kotaro Matsushima moving to the opposite wing.

“We’ve got our most important game of the World Cup coming up against Scotland,” Jones said at a packed media conference attended by journalists from all over the world.

“We’ve got a short turnaround which we are used to, but we are well prepared for the game and have made a number of changes.”

“We needed some fresher legs,” Jones said. “We know Scotland have a strong maul and will use a lot of high punts. It won’t be a pretty game so we have to make sure we front up physically in the set piece. If we can do that we can put ourselves in the game.”

Inagaki and Yamashita pack down either side of Shota Horie, with Ives joining Luke Thompson in the second row.

Mafi, meanwhile, will join Leitch and Michael Broadhurst in the back row.

A groin injury ruled out Kosei Ono, so Tatekawa partners Fumiaki Tanaka at halfback, with Tamura and Male Sa’u in the centres.

Fukuoka will play on his favoured left wing with Matsushima on the right and Ayumu Goromaru at fullback.

The bench features seven players who took part in Saturday’s historic win along with Shoji Ito.

*CAPTAIN