Jones Names Brave Blossoms Squad Ahead of All Blacks Match and Autumn Tour
Japan National Team Head Coach Eddie Jones has today named his latest Brave Blossoms squad as Japan prepares to host the All Blacks at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama later this month. Following their clash against the three-time World Champions on 26 October, the Brave Blossoms will embark on a three-match autumn tour of Europe, where they will face France in Paris, Uruguay in Chambéry, and England at Allianz Stadium in London.
The squad consists of 20 forwards and 17 backs and maintains its youthful core as Jones continues to usher in the next generation of Brave Blossoms in the lead-up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Utility back Harumichi Tatekawa retains the captaincy following the Pacific Nations Cup, in which Japan finished as runners-up after a 17-41 defeat to Fiji in the final. The 60-cap veteran is part of a small group of five senior players, each with over 20 test caps. The squad also includes five uncapped debutants, one of whom is Opeti Helu, the powerful yet mobile tighthead prop who plays for the Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY in Japan’s League One.
Another debutant who is sure to draw attention is 24-year-old flyhalf Ichigo Nakakusu, who plays for the RICOH BlackRams Tokyo. Nakakusu has impressed in League One and comes highly rated by the BlackRams’ coaching staff. Should he be selected, it would be a significant step up for the young flyhalf as he potentially lines up against the All Blacks.
With an average of 10 test caps per player across the squad, Japan will bring plenty of youthful energy and enthusiasm to the upcoming matches. After a 2024 season that has already included seven test matches and two uncapped matches against the Māori All Blacks, Japan is starting to build key combinations in both the forwards and backs.
Commenting on the squad selections and the upcoming match against New Zealand, Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones said:
“We want to keep introducing new blood into Japanese rugby. Between 2020 and 2023, Japan had 33 new test caps over four years. In 2024 we’ve had 17 already. We’re bringing new blood in and creating a new generation of players to increase the depth and quality of our squad.
“Across the PNC we made some fantastic improvements, but in the end, we were not strong enough against Fiji. We played some very good rugby in the leadup to the final, particularly in terms of our continuity in attack. We need to bring this against New Zealand. We want to attack them with our speed and with relentless defence, and we will have to be 100% on the job for the whole time.
“When you play New Zealand, they’re always the benchmark. For the last 20 years they’ve been the best team in the world. We’ve got two weeks to get ready for the game, and the one thing I know is when you play New Zealand, you have to go after them, chase them and go hard at them.”
The Brave Blossoms will take on the All Blacks in Yokohama on Saturday, 26 October, in the Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2024. They will then depart for their end-of-season autumn tour to Europe, where they will face France in Paris on Saturday, 9 November, and Uruguay in Chambéry, France, on Saturday, 16 November. Their final match of the year will mirror their first, with a second chance to face England in London on Sunday, 24 November.
Forwards
| Name | Club Team | Graduate | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOB | CAP |
| Takato OKABE | YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 180 | 105 | 1995/2/19 | 4 |
| Shuhei TAKEUCHI | URAYASU D-Rocks | Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. | 183 | 115 | 1997/12/9 | 10 |
| Keijiro TAMEFUSA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Meiji Univ. | 180 | 108 | 2001/9/3 | 7 |
| Opeti HELU | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Newington College [AUS] | 190 | 127 | 1998/07/22 | 0 |
| Shogo MIURA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Tokai Univ. | 180 | 115 | 1995/6/8 | 14 |
| Takayoshi MOHARA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Chuo Univ. | 187 | 116 | 2000/3/17 | 5 |
| Atsushi SAKATE | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Teikyo Univ. | 180 | 104 | 1993/6/21 | 46 |
| Mamoru HARADA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Keio Univ. | 175 | 101 | 1999/4/15 | 7 |
| Kenta MATSUOKA | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Meiji Univ. | 175 | 100 | 1997/6/6 | 2 |
| Daichi AKIYAMA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ | 192 | 114 | 1996/11/14 | 1 |
| Epineri Uluiviti | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Ratu Kadavulevu School [FIJ] | 196 | 122 | 1996/7/7 | 2 |
| Warner DEARNS | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Ryutsu Keizai Univ. KASHIWA HS. | 201 | 117 | 2002/4/11 | 18 |
| Sanaila WAQA | HANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS | Hastings Boys’ High School [NZ] | 202 | 120 | 1995/7/17 | 7 |
| Amanaki SAUMAKI | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Tupou College [TGA] | 189 | 107 | 1997/3/8 | 5 |
| Kanji SHIMOKAWA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 188 | 105 | 1999/1/17 | 10 |
| Kazuki HIMENO | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ. | 187 | 109 | 1994/7/27 | 32 |
| Amato FAKATAVA | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Daito Bunka Univ. | 195 | 118 | 1994/12/7 | 10 |
| Isaiah MAPUSUA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Keio Univ. | 191 | 112 | 2000/12/21 | 4 |
| Tevita TATAFU | Union Bordeaux Bègles [FRA] | Tokai Univ. | 183 | 124 | 1996/1/2 | 18 |
| Faulua MAKISI | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 112 | 1997/1/20 | 12 |
Backs:
| Name | Club Team | Graduate | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOB | CAP |
| Ren IINUMA | URAYASU D-Rocks | Meiji Univ. | 170 | 75 | 2000/2/8 | 0 |
| Taiki KOYAMA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Daito Bunka Univ. | 171 | 74 | 1994/10/31 | 6 |
| Naoto SAITO | Stade Toulousain | Waseda Univ. | 165 | 73 | 1997/8/26 | 21 |
| Shinobu FUJIWARA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 171 | 76 | 1999/2/8 | 6 |
| Harumichi TATEKAWA (C) | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 180 | 94 | 1989/12/2 | 60 |
| Ichigo NAKAKUSU | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Keio Univ. | 174 | 84 | 2000/6/1 | 0 |
| Tomoki OSADA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Waseda Univ. | 179 | 90 | 1999/11/25 | 14 |
| Malo TUITAMA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Scots College [NZ] | 182 | 91 | 1996/3/23 | 4 |
| Jone NAIKABULA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Setsunan Univ. | 177 | 95 | 1994/4/12 | 13 |
| Junta HAMANO | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Rotorua Boys HS. [NZ] | 180 | 93 | 2001/5/2 | 1 |
| Yuki IKEDA | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Tokai Univ. | 187 | 100 | 1995/5/21 | 0 |
| Yusuke KAJIMURA | YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES | Meiji Univ. | 181 | 95 | 1995/9/13 | 4 |
| Siosaia FIFITA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 105 | 1998/12/20 | 13 |
| Nicholas MCCURRAN | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ. | 188 | 93 | 1996/6/13 | 4 |
| Dylan RILEY | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Bond Univ. [AUS] | 187 | 102 | 1997/5/2 | 24 |
| Takuro MATSUNAGA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Tenri Univ. | 172 | 82 | 1998/8/13 | 0 |
| Yoshitaka YAZAKI | Waseda Univ. | Toin Gakuen HS. | 180 | 85 | 2004/5/12 | 6 |
Fans looking to catch the Brave Blossoms vs All Blacks in Yokohama can purchase match tickets in English via the following links.
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2024 Japan vs All Blacks
Saturday, 26 October
Nissan Stadium, Yokohama
■ Category One
■ Category Two
■ Category Three
■ Category Four
■ Pair seat, table seat
■ Wheelchair accessible seat
Japan Rugby 2024 Future Match Schedule
Saturday, 26 October
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2024 Japan vs All Blacks
Nissan Stadium, Yokohama
Saturday, 9 November
France vs Japan
Stade de France, Paris
Saturday, 16 November
Japan vs Uruguay
Chambéry Savoy Stadium, Chambéry, France
Sunday 24 November
England vs Japan
Allianz Stadium, London
Japan Rugby 2024 Match Results
Saturday 22 June
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2024 Japan vs England
National Stadium, Tokyo
17-52 (L)
Saturday 29 June
Japan XV vs Māori All Blacks
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo
10-36 (L)
Saturday 6 July
Japan XV vs Māori All Blacks
Toyota Stadium, Toyota City
26-14 (W)
Saturday 13 July
Japan vs Georgia
Yurtek Stadium, Sendai
23-25 (L)
Sunday 21 July
Japan vs Italy
Sapporo Dome, Sapporo
14-42 (L)
Sunday, 25 August
Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Pool B Match Canada vs Japan
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver
28-55 (W)
Saturday, 7 September
Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Pool B Match Japan vs USA
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Saitama
41-24 (W)
Sunday, 15 September
Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Semi-Final Two Japan vs Samoa
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo
49-27 (W)
Saturday 21 September
Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Final Japan vs Fiji
Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashi Osaka
17-41 (L)