Sakura Fifteen Ready to Take on Wallaroos
The Japan Rugby Football Union is pleased to announce the Sakura Fifteen team to take on the Wallaroos on Tuesday, May 10 at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Having won the first two matches of their three-match tour of Australia, the Sakura Fifteen will be looking to finish strongly against the Australians.
The Sakura Fifteen beat Fiji 28 – 14 in their first test match of the season on May 1. They then backed this up with a solid 24-10 victory over an Australian Barbarians side in a non-test match fixture on May 6. Their final tour match is sure to be their toughest, playing against an Australian team ranked fifth in the world and a side which the Sakura Fifteen have yet to taste victory against.
Kotono Yasuo who played at both scrum half and number 10 against the Australian Barbarians is set to earn her first test cap after being named on the bench, while Ria Anoku moves into the side at fullback for her first game of the tour. Captained by Saki Minami, the Sakura Fifteen will be looking to finish the tour strongly and be in the best possible position as they prepare for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Assistant Coach Louise Dalgleish will take charge of the team as Head Coach Lesley McKenzie is currently in isolation, having tested positive for Covid-19 while on tour.
TEAM LIST
| No. | Name |
| 1 | Saki Minami (C) |
| 2 | Nijiho Nagata |
| 3 | Yuka Sadaka |
| 4 | Kie Tamai |
| 5 | Yuna Sato |
| 6 | Seina Saito |
| 7 | Iroha Nagata |
| 8 | Mateitoga Bogidraumainadave |
| 9 | Moe Tsukui |
| 10 | Ayasa Otsuka |
| 11 | Rinka Matsuda |
| 12 | Shione Nakayama |
| 13 | Mana Furuta |
| 14 | Hinano Nagura |
| 15 | Ria Anoku |
| 16 | Hinata Komaki |
| 17 | Misaki Suzuki |
| 18 | Makoto Lavemai |
| 19 | Maki Takano |
| 20 | Otoka Yoshimura |
| 21 | Kotono Yasuo |
| 22 | Kyoko Hosokawa |
| 23 | Komachi Imakugi |
