Preview – Wales v Japan
Competition: Lipovitan D Tour 2016.
Date: Saturday 19 November 2016.
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff.
Japan Test Number: 331.
Kick-off: 14:30 UTC/GMT (23:30 JST).
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa).
Assistant Referees: John Lacey (Ireland) and Craig Maxwell-Keys (England). TMO: Eric Gauzins (France).
Head-to-head Encounters:
Japan and sides from Wales, including the full national side (nine times), Wales XV (four times) and Combined Clubs of Wales (once) have met fourteen times dating back to 1973 with the Welsh sides winning thirteen times to just once for Japan.
The highest scoring win for Wales was 98-0 in Cardiff in November 2004, while the biggest winning margin was 98 points in the same test. The longest winning sequence for Welsh sides is thirteen wins in a row between 1973 and 2013.
The highest scoring win for Japan was 23-8 in Tokyo in June 2013, while the biggest winning margin was 15 points in the same test. The longest winning sequence for Japan is one test.
Of the fourteen tests played, six have been played in Japan, while seven tests have been played in Wales and one has been played on the neutral territory of Bloemfontein in South Africa during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Japan and Wales have met three times at Rugby World Cups, including 1995, 1999 and 2007.
| No. | Date | Result
(Home – Away) |
Venue | Tournament | Japan
Test No. |
W/D/L
(For Japan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 19 Nov 2016 | Wales xx – Japan xx | Principality Stadium, Cardiff | 331 | ||
| 14 | 15 Jun 2013 | Japan 23 – Wales 8 | Chichibu, Tokyo | 290 | Won | |
| 13 | 08 Jun 2013 | Japan 18 – Wales 22 | Hanazono, Osaka | 289 | Lost | |
| 12 | 20 Sep 2007 | Wales 72 – Japan 18 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 6th RWC | 229 | Lost |
| 11 | 26 Nov 2004 | Wales 98 – Japan 0 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 199 | Lost | |
| 10 | 17 Jun 2001 | Japan 30 – Wales 53 | Chichibu, Tokyo | 172 | Lost | |
| 9 | 10 Jun 2001 | Japan 10 – Wales 64 | Hanazono, Osaka | 171 | Lost | |
| 8 | 09 Oct 1999 | Wales 64 – Japan 15 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 4th RWC | 160 | Lost |
| 7 | 27 May 1995 | Wales 57 – Japan 10 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | 3rd RWC | 126 | Lost |
| 6 | 16 Oct 1993 | Wales 55 – Japan 5 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 118 | Lost | |
| 5 | 22 Oct 1983 | Wales XV 29 – Japan 24 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 79 | Lost | |
| 4 | 09 Oct 1976 | Combined Clubs of Wales 63 – Japan 9 | St Helen’s, Swansea | 53 | Lost | |
| 3 | 24 Sep 1975 | Japan 6 – Wales XV 82 | National Stadium, Tokyo | 49 | Lost | |
| 2 | 21 Sep 1975 | Japan 12 – Wales XV 56 | Hanazono, Osaka | 48 | Lost | |
| 1 | 06 Oct 1973 | Wales XV 62 – Japan 14 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 38 | Lost |
Japan (WR rank 11 (12) (75.25), at 14 November 2016)
| Pos. | Name (Test Player Number) | Club | DOB | Age | Hgt/Wgt | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satoshi NAKATANI (TBC) | Yamaha Jubilo | 27/10/1981 | 35 | 170/105 | 2 |
| 2 | Shota HORIE (530) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 21/01/1986 | 30 | 180/104 | 46 |
| 3 | Kensuke HATAKEYAMA (515) | Suntory Sungoliath | 02/08/1985 | 31 | 178/113 | 76 |
| 4 | Kyosuke KAJIKAWA (TBC) | Toshiba Brave Lupus | 05/09/1987 | 29 | 188/105 | 2 |
| 5 | Samuela ANISE (TBC) | Canon Eagles | 30/08/1986 | 30 | 198/118 | 2 |
| 6 | Malgene ILAUA (TBC) | Toshiba Brave Lupus | 05/06/1993 | 23 | 187/105 | 2 |
| 7 | Shunsuke NUNOMAKI (TBC) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 13/07/1992 | 24 | 178/96 | 1 |
| 8 | Amanaki Lelei MAFI (580) | NTT Communications | 11/01/1990 | 26 | 189/112 | 11 |
| 9 | Fumiaki TANAKA (510) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 03/01/1985 | 31 | 166/72 | 56 |
| 10 | Yu TAMURA (555) | NEC Green Rockets | 09/01/1989 | 27 | 181/91 | 40 |
| 11 | Kenki FUKUOKA (569) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 07/09/1992 | 24 | 175/83 | 18 |
| 12 | Harumichi TATEKAWA (557) (c) | Kubota Spears | 02/12/1989 | 26 | 180/95 | 48 |
| 13 | Timothy LAFAELE (TBC) | Coca-Cola Red Sparks | 19/08/1991 | 25 | 186/98 | 2 |
| 14 | Akihito YAMADA (574) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 26/07/1985 | 31 | 182/88 | 16 |
| 15 | Kotaro MATSUSHIMA (576) | Suntory Sungoliath | 26/02/1993 | 23 | 178/87 | 20 |
| 16 | Takeshi HINO | Yamaha Jubilo | 20/01/1990 | 26 | 172/100 | 0 |
| 17 | Koki YAMAMOTO (TBC) | Yamaha Jubilo | 29/10/1990 | 26 | 181/118 | 2 |
| 18 | Heiichiro ITO (TBC) | Yamaha Jubilo | 05/10/1990 | 26 | 175/115 | 2 |
| 19 | Uwe HELU (TBC) | Yamaha Jubilo | 12/07/1990 | 26 | 193/115 | 2 |
| 20 | Shuhei MATSUHASHI (TBC) | Ricoh Black Rams | 24/11/1993 | 22 | 180/99 | 1 |
| 21 | Yuhimaru MIMURA (TBC) | Yamaha Jubilo | 27/02/1989 | 27 | 178/96 | 1 |
| 22 | Keisuke UCHIDA (558) | Panasonic Wild Knights | 22/02/1992 | 24 | 177/85 | 19 |
| 23 | Amanaki LOTOAHEA (TBC) | Ricoh Black Rams | 14/04/1990 | 26 | 191/107 | 2 |
Head Coach – Jamie Joseph.
Wales (WB rank 6 (7) (81.72), at 14 November 2016)
| Pos. | Name | Club | DOB | Age | Hgt/Wgt | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicky Smith | Ospreys | 07/04/1994 | 22 | 183/113 | 5 |
| 2 | Scott Baldwin | Ospreys | 12/07/1988 | 28 | 191/114 | 26 |
| 3 | Samson Lee | Scarlets | 30/11/1992 | 23 | 180/116 | 27 |
| 4 | Cory Hill | Newport Gwent Dragons | 10/02/1992 | 24 | 195/111 | 1 |
| 5 | Alun Wyn Jones | Ospreys | 19/09/1985 | 31 | 198/122 | 103 |
| 6 | Dan Lydiate | Ospreys | 18/12/1987 | 28 | 193/112 | 58 |
| 7 | Sam Warburton (c) | Cardiff Blues | 05/10/1988 | 28 | 188/99 | 68 |
| 8 | James King | Ospreys | 24/07/1990 | 26 | 193/107 | 9 |
| 9 | Lloyd Williams | Cardiff Blues | 30/11/1989 | 26 | 183/87 | 27 |
| 10 | Gareth Anscombe | Cardiff Blues | 10/05/1991 | 25 | 183/80 | 8 |
| 11 | Alex Cuthbert | Cardiff Blues | 05/04/1990 | 26 | 198/106 | 43 |
| 12 | Jamie Roberts | Harlequins (ENG) | 08/11/1986 | 30 | 193/110 | 84 |
| 13 | Jonathon Davies | Scarlets | 05/04/1988 | 28 | 186/104 | 57 |
| 14 | Leigh Halfpenny | Toulon (FRA) | 22/12/1988 | 27 | 178/85 | 64 |
| 15 | Liam Williams | Scarlets | 09/04/1991 | 25 | 185/87 | 36 |
| 16 | Kristian Dacey | Cardiff Blues | 25/07/1989 | 27 | 188/112 | 3 |
| 17 | Rhys Gill | Cardiff Blues | 30/10/1986 | 30 | 183/116 | 6 |
| 18 | Scott Andrews | Cardiff Blues | 01/08/1989 | 27 | 188/115 | 12 |
| 19 | Jake Ball | Scarlets | 21/06/1991 | 25 | 197/121 | 20 |
| 20 | Ross Moriarty | Gloucester (ENG) | 18/04/1994 | 22 | 188/104 | 11 |
| 21 | Gareth Davies | Scarlets | 18/08/1990 | 26 | 178/86 | 19 |
| 22 | Sam Davies | Ospreys | 06/10/1993 | 23 | 180/86 | 1 |
| 23 | Keelan Giles | Ospreys | 29/01/1998 | 18 | 175/76 | 0 |
Caretaker Head Coach – Rob Howley.
On 7 September 2016, Wales head coach Warren Gatland was reappointed head coach of the British and Irish Lions for the tour of New Zealand in 2017. Gatland is committed to the Lions position from 1 September 2016 until the completion of the tour. Rob Howley was appointed caretaker coach of Wales for the 2016 autumn internationals and the 2017 Six Nations. He may continue in the role for the 2017 June internationals, depending on his selection for the coaching staff of the Lions.