Japan Team Announced for Historic British & Irish Lions Match
The Japan Rugby Football Union has today announced the Brave Blossoms team that will take on the British & Irish Lions this Saturday, June 26 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
Captained by Michael Leitch, the team includes four uncapped players in Siosaia Fifita, Craig Millar, Jack Cornelsen, and Naoto Saito, while 17 members of the team were part of Japan’s squad at Rugby World Cup 2019.
Commenting on the team selection, Japan Head Coach Jamie Joseph said:
“This is a strong Japanese team combining a solid foundation of experience, with some exciting new players who have earned the right to represent Japan at test match level. We will field a strong, competitive team on Saturday while also taking the opportunity to blood new players as we look ahead to Rugby World Cup.
Six Nations teams play around a strong set piece, and this is where the Lions will look to pressure us. We have picked a team with this in mind and which is capable of putting pressure back onto the opposition and taking our opportunities to score points when they come.”
“There is a great spirit among the team and a collective excitement ahead of Saturday’s match. Playing the Lions for the first time holds huge significance for Japanese rugby and as a team, we’re looking forward to once again be playing on the world stage and to be taking on a team with the unique strength and history of the Lions.”
Japan Team to play the British & Irish Lions
| No. | Name | Club Team | cm | kg | DO.B | Caps |
| １ | Keita INAGAKI | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 186 | 116 | 1990/06/02 | 34 |
| 2 | Atsushi SAKATE | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 180 | 104 | 1993/06/21 | 21 |
| 3 | Jiwon KOO | HONDA Heat | 183 | 118 | 1994/07/20 | 13 |
| 4 | Wimpie VAN DER WALT | NTT DOCOMO Red Hurricanes | 188 | 112 | 1989/01/06 | 16 |
| 5 | James MOORE | Munakata SANIX Blues | 195 | 110 | 1993/06/11 | 8 |
| 6 | Michael LEITCH | TOSHIBA Brave Lupus | 189 | 113 | 1988/10/07 | 68 |
| 7 | Pieter LABUSCHAGNE | KUBOTA Spears | 189 | 106 | 1989/01/11 | 8 |
| 8 | Amanaki Lelei MAFI | CANON Eagles | 189 | 112 | 1990/01/11 | 27 |
| 9 | Kaito SHIGENO | TOYOTA Verblitz | 170 | 75 | 1990/11/21 | 10 |
| 10 | Yu TAMURA | CANON Eagles | 181 | 92 | 1989/01/09 | 63 |
| 11 | Siosaia FIFITA | KINTETSU Liners | 187 | 105 | 1998/12/20 | - |
| 12 | Ryoto NAKAMURA | SUNTORY Sungoliath | 181 | 92 | 1991/06/03 | 24 |
| 13 | Timothy LAFAELE | KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers | 186 | 100 | 1991/08/19 | 23 |
| 14 | Kotaro MATSUSHIMA | ASM Clermont Auvergne | 178 | 88 | 1993/02/26 | 39 |
| 15 | Ryohei YAMANAKA | KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers | 188 | 100 | 1988/06/22 | 18 |
| 16 | Kosuke HORIKOSHI | SUNTORY Sungoliath | 175 | 100 | 1995/06/02 | 2 |
| 17 | Craig MILLAR | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 186 | 116 | 1990/10/29 | ‐ |
| 18 | Asaeli Ai VALU | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 187 | 115 | 1989/05/07 | 14 |
| 19 | Jack CORNELSEN | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 195 | 110 | 1994/10/13 | – |
| 20 | Kazuki HIMENO | TOYOTA Verblitz | 187 | 112 | 1994/07/27 | 17 |
| 21 | Tevita TATAFU | SUNTORY Sungoliath | 183 | 124 | 1996/01/02 | 3 |
| 22 | Naoto SAITO | SUNTORY Sungoliath | 165 | 73 | 1997/08/26 | – |
| 23 | Rikiya MATSUDA | PANASONIC Wild Knights | 181 | 92 | 1994/05/03 | 24 |