Brave Blossoms Squad Announced Ahead of Autumn Tour

Brave Blossoms Head Coach Jamie Joseph has today announced the 40 member Japan National Team Squad for the upcoming Lipovitan D Tour 2022 to Europe. Departing Japan on Wednesday, November 2, the Autumn tour will see the Brave Blossoms take on England at Twickenham on Saturday, November 12, and France in Toulouse on Sunday, November 20 in their final two test matches of the year.

Following an action-packed domestic calendar which saw the Japan XV play Australia A in three non-capped matches in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Osaka, and the Brave Blossoms hosting the All Blacks in front of a sold-out National Stadium in Tokyo, Brave Blossoms fans will now look forward to seeing their team take on two of the best teams in Europe.

Comprising 22 forwards and 18 backs, the squad brings together a solid mix of youth and experience, as the Brave Blossoms enter their final 10 months of preparations, ahead of their first match at next year’s Rugby World Cup in France. Captained by 31-cap Atsushi Sakate, the squad includes Japan’s most capped current player, the evergreen, 76-cap Michael Leitch.

The forwards bring together solid test match experience with an average of 14.3 caps per player. Rugby World Cup 2019 veterans, 43-cap Keita Inagaki, 23-cap Kazuki Himeno and 20-cap Wimpie van der Walt are included in a group that also includes 12 players with 10 caps or less.

The backs bring together a playing group with slightly less experience, with an average of 11.8 caps per player. Kotaro Matsushima, with 45 caps, is the squad’s most capped back. He is joined by the experienced, 31-cap Ryoto Nakamura, 28-cap Yutaka Nagare and 25-cap Ryohei Yamanaka, while 12 of the 18 backs have 10 test caps or less, including uncapped flyhalf, Hayata Nakao.    

Commenting on the squad selection, National Team Director, Yuichiro Fuji said:

‘Following our three matches against Australia A, we identified issues and areas that needed improvement. We were then able to challenge the All Blacks in Tokyo, pushing them all the way, right to the final whistle. While the result was disappointing, the players fought bravely and showed their skills. We are now aiming to reach a higher level in Europe against England and France, growing in strength and building even closer bonds amongst the group as we prepare for next year’s World Cup.”

TEAM LIST

PositionNameClubSchoolHeightWeightDOBCaps
PRKeita INAGAKISAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSKanto Gakuin Univ.1861161990/6/243
PRYusuke KIZUTOYOTA VERBLITZTenri Univ.1781121995/12/25
PRCraig MILLARSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSUniv. of Otago1861161990/10/297
PRJiwon GUKOBELCO KOBE STEELERSTakushoku Univ.1841221994/7/2019
PRShuhei TAKEUCHIURAYASU D-RocksKyushu Kyoritsu Univ.1831151997/12/92
PRShogo MIURATOYOTA VERBLITZTokai Univ.1801131995/6/89
HOAtsushi SAKATESAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSTeikyo Univ.1801041993/6/2131
HOTakeshi HINOSHIZUOKA BlueRevsDoshisha Univ.1721001990/1/205
HOKosuke HORIKOSHITOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHTeikyo Univ.1751001995/6/25
LODaichi AKIYAMATOYOTA VERBLITZTeikyo Univ.1921101996/11/141
LOWimpie VAN DER WALTURAYASU D-RocksNelspruit HS1881121989/1/620
LOYuya ODOSHIZUOKA BlueRevsRitsumeikan Univ.1871041990/3/95
LONaohiro KOTAKIKOBELCO KOBE STEELERSTeikyo Univ.1941141992/6/1311
LOJack CORNELSENSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSUniv. of Queensland1951101994/10/1310
LOWarner DEARNSTOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYORyutsu KeizaiUniv. KASHIWA High School2011172002/4/115
FLKanji SHIMOKAWATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHWaseda Univ.1881051999/1/171
FLPieter LABUSCHAGNEKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAYUniv. of the Free State1891061989/1/1113
FLMasato FURUKAWATOYOTA VERBLITZRitsumeikan Univ.179951996/12/63
FLMichael LEITCHTOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYOTokai Univ.1891131988/10/776
No.8Tevita TATAFUTOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHTokai Univ.1831241996/1/213
No.8Kazuki HIMENOTOYOTA VERBLITZTeikyo Univ.1871081994/7/2723
No.8Faulua MAKISIKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAYTenri Univ.1871121997/1/205
SHKaito SHIGENOTOYOTA VERBLITZDaito Bunka Univ.170771990/11/2116
SHNaoto SAITOTOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHWaseda Univ.165731997/8/269
SHYutaka NAGARETOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHTeikyo Univ.166751992/9/428
SOHayata NAKAOTOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYOKagoshima Univ.176861995/1/200
SOTakuya YAMASAWASAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSTsukuba Univ.176841994/9/215
SOSeungsin LEEKOBELCO KOBE STEELERSOsaka Korean HS176852001/1/134
CTBYusuke KAJIMURAYOKOHAMA CANON EAGLESMeiji Univ.181951995/9/132
CTBShane GATESURAYASU D-RocksMuir College Boys’ HS183951992/9/274
CTBShogo NAKANOTOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHWaseda Univ.186981997/6/115
CTBRyoto NAKAMURATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHTeikyo Univ.182921991/6/331
CTBDylan RILEYSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSBond Univ.1871021997/5/28
WTBGerhard Van Den HEEVERKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAYUniv. of Pretoria1921021989/4/134
WTBSiosaia FIFITAHANAZONO KINTETSU LINERSTenri Univ.1871051998/12/2010
WTBKoga NEZUKAKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAYHosei Univ.173821998/9/151
WTBKotaro MATSUSHIMATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATHToin Gakuen HS178871993/2/2645
FBRyuji NOGUCHISAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTSTokai Univ.177831995/7/1514
FBTaira MAINRICOH BlackRams TokyoGose Industrial HS178892000/9/51
FBRyohei YAMANAKAKOBELCO KOBE STEELERSWaseda Univ.188981988/6/2225

The Lipovitan D Tour 2022 matches:

England vs Japan at Twickenham on Saturday, November 12.

Kick-off 15:15 GMT (00:15 JST on Sunday, November 13).

France vs Japan at Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday, November 20.

Kick-off 14:00 CET (22:00 JST).

Japan National Team Squad:

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