Brave Blossoms Team Announced Ahead of French Test
Japan Head Coach Jamie Joseph has today announced the Brave Blossoms team to take on France this Sunday, November 20 in their Lipovitan D Tour 2022 clash in Toulouse. Kicking off at 14:00 local time (22:00 Japan Standard Time), the Brave Blossoms will be looking to finish 2022 on a positive note as they take on Les Bleus for the third time this year.
Sunday’s fixture at Stadium de Toulouse will be the 13th meeting between the two teams since they first played in Bordeaux, back in 1973. Over this time, Japan have yet to taste victory against the French, however results in recent years suggest the gap is closing between the two sides.
The Brave Blossoms recorded their best result against Les Bleus in Nanterre in 2017, drawing the match 23 points all. In their most recent meeting at Tokyo’s National Stadium in July this year, Japan came agonisingly close to recording their first win. With five minutes remaining and trailing by five points, Japan crossed the try line, only to be denied by the TMO who ruled the ball was incorrectly grounded. The try was disallowed, and France held on to win the match 15-20.
In addition to the growing rivalry between the two sides, Sunday’s match holds extra significance for Japan as Toulouse will be the Brave Blossoms’ Official Base Camp at Rugby World Cup 2023. They will also play two of their Pool D matches at Stadium de Toulouse, against Chile and Samoa.
The city in the southwest of France is already familiar to the team after having prepared and played there against Tonga during their European tour in 2017. Stadium de Toulouse also played host to Japan’s Rugby World Cup 2007 pool match against Fiji where the Brave Blossoms took the eventual 2007 quarter finalists all the way, narrowly losing the match 35-31.
This weekend sees a number of changes from the side that lost to England 52-13 last weekend at Twickenham. In the backrow, Pieter ‘Lappies’ Labuschagne moves from the bench to starting openside, while Tevita Tatafu, who played last week at number eight, starts this weekend from the pine. Kazuki Himeno moves to number eight in his 25th test, while Brave Blossoms veteran Michael Leitch starts the match at blindside.
The remainder of the pack stays the same, with Captain Atsushi Sakate leading the team at hooker, alongside the experienced Keita Inagaki at loosehead and Jiwon Gu at tighthead. In the second row, the towering Warner Dearns packs down alongside Jack Cornelsen, as the pair continue their successful locking combination.
In the backline, the halves combination of Naoto Saito at halfback and flyhalf Seungsin Lee move from the bench to the starting side, alongside Siosaia Fifita who returns to the left wing. In the midfield, Ryoto Nakamura starts at inside centre while at outside centre, Shogo Nakano returns to the side after having played both tests against France in the summer and in all three Australia A matches for the Japan XV. Dylan Riley moves from the midfield to the right wing, while the ever-reliable, Ryohei Yamanaka rounds out the back three at fullback.
On the bench, hooker Kosuke Horikoshi and prop Craig Millar are joined by prop Shogo Miura as the three front row reserves. Wimpie van der Walt retains his spot as second row reserve, with Tevita Tatafu the fifth forward in a 5-3 forward/back split.
Halfback Yutaka Nagare, who started last weekend at Twickenham, is set to earns his 30th test cap off the bench and is joined by Kotaro Matsushima as the back three reserve. Meanwhile young flyhalf Hayata Nakao, from League One side Toshiba Brave Lupus, is set to earn his first cap for Japan after having played in the first Japan XV match against Australia A in Tokyo back in October.
Commenting on the Brave Blossoms team selection, Japan Head Coach Jamie Joseph said:
“France have a very experienced forward pack, very big backs and they tend to play a lot of the game in our half, giving us a lot of ball. We have to make sure that when we get that ball that we make good decisions on whether we counter or return with our kicking game and getting that balance right. We’ve been working hard around taking our opportunities when they arise and keeping the ball in hand, and then obviously turning the ball around when we feel that we’re under pressure. Getting that balance right will be key this weekend.”
Sunday’s match kicks off at 14:00 Central European Time (22:00 JST). It will be broadcast live in Japan and via catch-up on WOWOW from 21:30 JST. NTV/Hulu will show a delayed telecast from 24:10 JST.
| No. | Name | Club |
| 1 | Keita INAGAKI | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS |
| 2 | Atsushi SAKATE | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS |
| 3 | Jiwon GU | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS |
| 4 | Warner DEARNS | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO |
| 5 | Jack CORNELSEN | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS |
| 6 | Michael LEITCH | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO |
| 7 | Pieter LABUSCHAGNE | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY |
| 8 | Kazuki HIMENO | TOYOTA VERBLITZ |
| 9 | Naoto SAITO | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 10 | Seungsin LEE | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS |
| 11 | Siosaia FIFITA | HANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS |
| 12 | Ryoto NAKAMURA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 13 | Shogo NAKANO | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 14 | Dylan RILEY | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS |
| 15 | Ryohei YAMANAKA | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS |
| 16 | Kosuke HORIKOSHI | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 17 | Craig MILLAR | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS |
| 18 | Shuhei TAKEUCHI | URAYASU D-Rocks |
| 19 | Wimpie VAN DER WALT | URAYASU D-Rocks |
| 20 | Tevita TATAFU | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 21 | Yutaka NAGARE | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
| 22 | Hayata NAKAO | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO |
| 23 | Kotaro MATSUSHIMA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH |
Japan vs France Past Results:
July 9, 2022 (L) 15-20 Tokyo
July 2, 2022 (L) 23-42 Toyota City
November 26, 2017 (D) 23-23 Nanterre
September 10, 2011 (L) 21-47 North Harbour (RWC2011)
October 18, 2003 (L) 29-51 Townsville (RWC2003)
October 26, 1985 (L) 0-52 Beaujoire
October 19, 1985 (L) 0-50 Dax
October 7, 1984 (L) 12-40 Tokyo
September 30, 1984 (L) 0-52 Osaka
October 19, 1980 (L) 3-23 Toulouse
September 23, 1978 (L) 16-55 Tokyo
October 27, 1973 (L) 18-30 Bordeaux