TOKYO (July 17) – Tim Bennetts is set to win his first cap for Japan off the bench after he was named in the Brave Blossoms’ 23-man squad for their Pacific Nations Cup opener against Canada on Saturday.

 
The 24-year-old center is the only uncapped player in the squad, which will be led by Ayumu Goromaru.

 
“He has been training very hard and really improved over the last three months so I am looking forward to giving him the opportunity to win his first cap,” Japan coach Eddie Jones said of Bennetts.

 
While the bench contains a number of relatively inexperienced test-match players, the run-on XV contains some experienced campaigners.

 
Japan’s most capped player of all time, Hitoshi Ono, will win his 88th cap while his partner in the second row, Luke Thompson, will win his 54th.

 
The two veterans pack down behind an experienced front row that sees Shota Horie pack down between Hisateru Hirashima and Hiroshi Yamashita.

 
Michael Broadhurst returns to test duty for the first time since November 2013 and forms a physical back row alongside Hayden Hopgood and Justin Ives.

 
In the backs, Atsushi Hiwasa starts at scrumhalf alongside Harumichi Tatekawa, with Yu Tamura and Kotaro Matsushima in the centers, Kenki Fukuoka and Yoshikazu Fujita on the wings and Goromaru at fullback.

 
“In terms of selection we have picked the guys at the moment who are fit and ready to play,” Jones said. “This is our first proper test match since November so we are looking forward to playing against another step up the ladder for the World Cup.”

 
Joining Bennetts on the bench are Keita Inagaki, Takeshi Kizu and Shinnosuke Kakinaga, who provide the front row cover.

 
Kazuhiko Usami and Tsuyoshi Murata are the two other reserve forwards, Keisuke Uchida is the back-up scrumhalf while Toshiaki Hirose can cover flyhalf and wing.

 
“As I have said all along we want to win every game at the PNC but we are preparing to win at the World Cup,” Jones said. “This is a great opportunity for players to put forward their best effort to win selection for the World Cup.”

 

Japan National Team Squad Members Named for Pacific Nations Cup

No	Name	Club Team	Graduate	cm	kg	D/O/B	Caps
1	Hisateru HIRASHIMA	KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers	Fukuoka Univ.	180	110	1983/1/15	38
2	Shota HORIE	PANASONIC Wild Knights	Teikyo Univ.	180	105	1986/1/21	32
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers	Kyoto Sangyo Univ.	183	122	1986/1/1	39
4	Hitoshi ONO	TOSHIBA Brave Lupus	Nihon Univ.	192	106	1978/5/6	87
5	Luke THOMPSON	KINTETSU Liners	Lincoln Univ.	196	108	1981/4/16	53
6	Justin IVES	CANON Eagles	Taieri College	196	105	1984/5/24	27
7	Michael BROADHURST	RICOH BlackRams	Campion College	196	111	1986/10/30	16
8	Hayden HOPGOOD	–	Shirley Boys HS	190	105	1980/7/30	7
9	Atsushi HIWASA	SUNTORY Sungoliath	Hosei Univ.	166	72	1987/5/22	41
10	Harumichi TATEKAWA	KUBOTA Spears	Tenri Univ.	181	94	1989/12/2	32
11	Kenki FUKUOKA	Univ.of Tsukuba	Fukuoka HS	175	83	1992/9/7	13
12	Yu TAMURA	NEC Green Rockets	Meiji Univ.	181	92	1989/1/9	30
13	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	SUNTORY Sungoliath	Toin Gakuen HS	175	88	1993/2/26	6
14	Yoshikazu FUJITA	Waseda Univ.	Higashi Fukuoka HS	184	90	1993/9/8	22
15	* Ayumu GOROMARU	YAMAHA Jubilo	Waseda Univ.	185	99	1986/3/1	47

*Captain

 

 

16	Keita INAGAKI	PANASONIC Wild Knights	Kanto Gakuin Univ.	183	115	1990/6/2	2
17	Takeshi KIZU	KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers	Tokai Univ.	183	114	1988/7/15	33
18	Shinnosuke KAKINAGA	SUNTORY Sungoliath	Waseda Univ.	180	114	1991/12/19	3
19	Kazuhiko USAMI	CANON Eagles	Ritsumeikan Univ.	197	111	1992/3/17	3
20	Tsuyoshi MURATA	NEC Green Rockets	Keio Univ.	185	103	1988/12/15	3
21	Keisuke UCHIDA	PANASONIC Wild Knights	Univ. of Tsukuba	177	85	1992/2/22	10
22	Toshiaki HIROSE	TOSHIBA Brave Lupus	Keio Univ.	173	82	1981/10/17	26
23	Tim BENNETTS	CANON Eagles	Pennant Hills HS	185	90	1990/8/1	–