14 October,2014
Jones names squad to take on Maori, Romania and Georgia
TOKYO (Oct. 14) – Japan coach Eddie Jones named four uncapped players Tuesday for Japan’s two games and two tests in November.
A Japan XV host the Maori All Blacks in Kobe on Nov. 1 and then in Tokyo a week later before Jones and the players fly to Europe to play test matches against Romania on Nov. 15 and Georgia on Nov. 23.
With eight senior players missing through injury – or in Fumiaki Tanaka’s case selection for the Barbarians – Jones said this was the ideal time for some young players to raise their hands for selection for Rugby World Cup 2015.
“It is fantastic timing for this to happen as it will really test our depth and is a fantastic opportunity for those who have not been in the 23 to show us whether they are capable of being in the 31-man squad for the World Cup.”
No. 8 Amanaki Lelei Mafi, props Keita Inagaki and Shinnosuke Kakinaga and wing Karne Hesketh are the uncapped players in the 30-man squad, which will be captained by Michael Leitch.
Scrumhalf Yuki Yatomi and hooker Ryuhei Arita also return to the international fold, having last played for their country in 2009 and 2012, respectively.
“Everything we do now is geared towards the World Cup,” said Jones. “It is best for the injured seven that they stay at home in November and get ready for the World Cup. And it’s a great opportunity for the others to come in and prove where we are.”
Jones said he was expecting the home games to be very different from the two games in Europe. But he was hoping the results would be the same.
“The Maori are a free-running unstructured team, while Romania and Georgia are the exact opposite,” he said. “We may have prioritized the World Cup ahead of short-term results, but our target is still to win the next four games.”
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