Japan name team for crunch game with Samoa
WARWICK, England (Oct. 1) – Japan coach Eddie Jones has named his team to face Samoa on Saturday in Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2015.
The starting XV shows five changes from the side that lost to Scotland last week and two positional switches.
“The team is in excellent condition,” he said Thursday. “The only thing we’re worrying about is the injuries we got from the Scotland game. We just need to manage those injuries. But apart from that, the physical conditioning of the players is first class. We don’t have any excuses for the game.”
The changes in the pack see Ryu Koliniasi Holani brought in at No. 8, Hitoshi Ono at lock and Keita Inagaki at loosehead prop.
In the backs, Kosei Ono starts at flyhalf and Akihito Yamada returns on the right wing with Harumichi Tatekawa shifting from 10 to 12 and Kotaro Matsushima moving to the left wing.
“It’s the most experienced team to ever play for Japan. We know we’ve got a big task ahead of us. If we can stick with Samoa for the first 60 (minutes) then for the last 20 we should be able to come home pretty well.”
Michael Leitch will once again lead the team.
“We’re going up against a very physical side and our defence will be important. I’m picking it up day by day and I’m going to leave everything out there on the field,” he said.
“The team is really focused now. The South Africa game was what, two weeks ago? We’ve moved on from that, moved on from the Scotland game. There are no excuses this time.”
Ayumu Goromaru has been one of the most talked about players in the tournament following his 24-point haul against the Springboks on the opening weekend.
“There are a few players we’re marking and how we look after them will make the difference. They make you pay from mistakes and after kicks with a strong counterattacking game,” the fullback said.
“We may have changed the history of rugby by beating South Africa in our first game but our target ultimately is to reach the last eight. So we must beat Samoa, no matter what.”
“We have to dig deep and speed up the game when they start to tire, play the type of rugby only Japan can play.”
| No |
Name |
Club Team |
Graduate |
cm |
kg |
D/O/B |
Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Keita INAGAKI |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Kanto Gakuin Univ. |
183 | 115 | 1990/6/2 | 8 |
| 2 |
Shota HORIE |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Teikyo Univ. |
180 | 105 | 1986/1/21 | 40 |
| 3 |
Kensuke HATAKEYAMA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Waseda Univ. |
178 | 115 | 1985/8/2 | 70 |
| 4 |
Luke THOMPSON |
KINTETSU Liners |
Lincoln Univ. |
196 | 108 | 1981/4/16 | 61 |
| 5 | Hitoshi ONO | TOSHIBA Brave Lupus | Nihon Univ. | 192 | 106 | 1978/5/6 | 95 |
| 6 | *
Michael LEITCH |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus | Tokai Univ. | 190 | 105 | 1988/10/7 | 45 |
| 7 |
Michael BROADHURST |
RICOH BlackRams |
Campion College |
196 | 111 | 1986/10/30 | 24 |
| 8 |
Ryu Koliniasi HOLANI |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Saitama Institute of Technology Univ. |
188 | 112 | 1981/10/25 | 42 |
| 9 |
Fumiaki TANAKA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
166 | 71 | 1985/1/3 | 51 |
| 10 |
Kosei ONO |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Christchurch Boys HS |
171 | 83 | 1987/4/17 | 30 |
| 11 |
Kotaro MATSUSHIMA |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Toin Gakuen HS |
175 | 88 | 1993/2/26 | 14 |
| 12 |
Harumichi TATEKAWA |
KUBOTA Spears |
Tenri Univ. |
181 | 94 | 1989/12/2 | 41 |
| 13 |
Male SAU |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Tangaroa College |
183 | 97 | 1987/10/13 | 25 |
| 14 |
Akihito YAMADA |
PANASONIC Wild Knights |
Keio Univ. |
181 | 90 | 1985/7/26 | 14 |
| 15 |
Ayumu GOROMARU |
YAMAHA Jubilo |
Waseda Univ. |
185 | 99 | 1986/3/1 | 55 |
| 16 |
Takeshi KIZU |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Tokai Univ. |
183 | 114 | 1988/7/15 | 39 |
| 17 |
Masataka MIKAMI |
TOSHIBA Brave Lupus |
Tokai Univ. |
178 | 115 | 1988/6/4 | 31 |
| 18 |
Hiroshi YAMASHITA |
KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers |
Kyoto Sangyo Univ. |
183 | 122 | 1986/1/1 | 47 |
| 19 |
Justin IVES |
CANON Eagles |
Taieri College |
196 | 105 | 1984/5/24 | 31 |
| 20 |
Amanaki Lelei MAFI |
NTT COMMUNICATIONS Shining Arcs |
Hanazono Univ. |
189 | 112 | 1990/1/11 | 5 |
| 21 |
Hendrik TUI |
SUNTORY Sungoliath |
Teikyo Univ. |
189 | 107 | 1987/12/13 | 34 |
| 22 | Atsushi HIWASA | SUNTORY Sungoliath | Hosei Univ. | 166 | 72 | 1987/5/22 | 49 |
| 23 |
Karne HESKETH |
Munakata SANIX Blues |
Univ. of Otago |
178 | 98 | 1985/8/1 | 12 |
* CAPTAIN
