Brave Blossoms Get Set for Huge Test Against All Blacks
Japan Head Coach, Eddie Jones has named his Brave Blossoms side to take on the New Zealand All Blacks this Saturday, 26 October in the Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2024.
Kicking off at 14:50 local Japan time at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, the match holds huge significance on a number of levels.
For New Zealand, it marks their return to Yokohama for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat to an Eddie Jones coached England side in the Semi-Final of Rugby World Cup 2019. Meanwhile, for Japan, it will be their first time back in Yokohama since their final Pool A match at Rugby World Cup. Following the super typhoon that saw the cancelation of three tournament matches and put the Japan v Scotland match in serious doubt, Japan went on to famously defeat the Scots 28-21, to go through undefeated in Pool A.
Of additional significance for Japan is that it will be their first time to face New Zealand since they took the All Blacks down to the wire at a sold-out National Stadium in Tokyo, almost two years ago to the day.
In front of a crowd of more than 65,000, the largest ever audience for a rugby match in Japan outside of the Rugby World Cup, fans witnessed a classic test match, with Japan pushing the three-time World Champions all the way. Falling short 31-38 at the final whistle, the result was the closest between the two sides across their seven test matches since 1987.
Fast forward to 2024 and the All Blacks face a vastly different Japan side. Captained by 60- test veteran, Harumichi Tatekawa at number 10, the Brave Blossoms feature just four players who faced the All Blacks two years ago. Backrower Kazuki Himeno returns to the side after a long injury layoff, alongside lock Warner Dearns, hooker Atsushi Sakate, and centre Dylan Riley.
The return of Himeno at openside flanker adds some significant starch to the Japan forwards. His 32 caps brings a welcome level of experience to a pack undergoing significant generational change. Although there is a growing level of experience across the matchday 23, Jones remains committed to nurturing new talent, with uncapped reserve prop Opeti Helu and reserve back Takuro Matsunaga poised to make their debuts for Japan.
Commenting ahead of Saturday’s match, Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones said:
“Whenever you play New Zealand, the first thing you’ve got to do is be prepared to take them on. Like any team in the world, you have to go at them and put them under pressure.
The way we play, and in particular, with the way we attack, we can really put them under pressure with our collective speed. We intend to do that from the first minute.”
When we don’t have the ball, which could be up to 50 percent of the game, we need to be defending every moment, of every minute, of every play. We’ve got to be really aggressive and connected in our defence.”
The match will be broadcast from 14:20 on J Sports1 and via J Sports On-Demand, both live and via catch-up, as well as live from 14:30 on Nippon Television and via live streaming on Hulu.
Match tickets are still available and can be purchased in English via the following link: linktr.ee/JAPANvALLBLACKS
*(C) Captain
| No | Name | Club Team | Graduate | Heightcm | Weightkg | DOB | Cap |
| 1 | Takato OKABE | YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 180 | 105 | 1995/2/19 | 4 |
| 2 | Atsushi SAKATE | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Teikyo Univ. | 180 | 104 | 1993/6/21 | 46 |
| 3 | Shuhei TAKEUCHI | URAYASU D-Rocks | Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. | 183 | 115 | 1997/12/9 | 10 |
| 4 | Sanaila WAQA | HANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS | Hastings Boys’ High School (NZ) | 202 | 120 | 1995/7/17 | 7 |
| 5 | Warner DEARNS | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Ryutsu Keizai Univ. KASHIWA HS. | 201 | 117 | 2002/4/11 | 18 |
| 6 | Amato FAKATAVA | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Daito Bunka Univ. | 195 | 118 | 1994/12/7 | 10 |
| 7 | Kazuki HIMENO. | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ | 187 | 109 | 1994/7/27 | 32 |
| 8 | Faulua MAKISI | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 112 | 1997/1/20 | 12 |
| 9 | Shinobu FUJIWARA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 171 | 76 | 1999/2/8 | 6 |
| 10 | Harumichi TATEKAWA (C) | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 180 | 94 | 1989/12/2 | 60 |
| 11 | Malo TUITAMA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Scots College | 182 | 91 | 1996/3/23 | 4 |
| 12 | Nicholas MCCURRAN | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ. | 188 | 93 | 1996/6/13 | 4 |
| 13 | Dylan RILEY | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Bond Univ. (AUS) | 187 | 102 | 1997/5/2 | 24 |
| 14 | Jone NAIKABULA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Setsunan Univ. | 177 | 95 | 1994/4/12 | 13 |
| 15 | Yoshitaka YAZAKI | Waseda Univ. | Toin Gakuen HS. | 180 | 85 | 2004/5/12 | 6 |
| 16 | Mamoru HARADA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Keio Univ. | 175 | 101 | 1999/4/15 | 7 |
| 17 | Takayoshi MOHARA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Chuo Univ. | 187 | 116 | 2000/3/17 | 5 |
| 18 | Opeti HELU | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Newington College (Aus) | 190 | 127 | 1998/7/22 | 0 |
| 19 | Epineri ULUIVITI | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Ratu Kadavulevu School (Fiji) | 196 | 122 | 1996/7/7 | 2 |
| 20 | Kanji SHIMOKAWA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 188 | 105 | 1999/1/17 | 10 |
| 21 | Taiki KOYAMA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Daito Bunka Univ. | 171 | 74 | 1994/10/31 | 6 |
| 22 | Tomoki OSADA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Waseda Univ. | 179 | 90 | 1999/11/25 | 14 |
| 23 | Takuro MATSUNAGA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Tenri Univ. | 172 | 82 | 1998/8/13 | 0 |
Japan vs New Zealand Past Results:
October 29, 2022 (L) 31-38 Tokyo
November 3, 2018 (L) 31-69 Tokyo
November 2, 2013 (L) 6-54 Tokyo
September 16, 2011 (L) 7-83 Hamilton
June 4, 1995 (L) 17-145 Bloemfontein (RWC 1995)
November 1, 1987 (L) 4-106 Tokyo
October 25, 1987 (L) 0-74 Osaka