Sakura Fifteen Set for Ireland Rematch in Cork
Japan Head Coach Toshizumi Kitagawa has named his Sakura Fifteen side to take on Ireland this Saturday, October 3, in the second of two consecutive tests against their hosts. The match at Virgin Media Park in the southern Irish city of Cork kicks off at 14:00 local time (22:00 JST).
The Sakura Fifteen head into the match looking to build on their much-improved performance in Galway last Sunday, where they pushed Ireland all the way before going down 31-24. Having fallen 19-0 behind, Japan fought their way back into the contest, scoring four tries and producing a strong second-half performance that represented a significant step forward from their defeat to Italy a week earlier in Pordenone.
With Ireland having come under sustained pressure from Japan in Galway, the Sakura Fifteen will no doubt expect a response from their hosts this weekend in Cork. The challenge for the visitors will be to build on the improvements shown last weekend while preparing for an Irish side that will also have had the opportunity to review the first test and make its own adjustments.
Kitagawa has opted for continuity in his starting side, making just one change to the XV that started in Galway. Haruka Hirotsu comes onto the right wing in place of Sora Nishimura, joining Komachi Imakugi in the back three, with Maiko Nishi continuing at fullback.
The remainder of the backline is unchanged. Captain Moe Tsukui, who earned her 50th Test cap in Galway, again starts at halfback alongside Sawa Harada at flyhalf, while Mana Furuta and Uta Kataoka continue their partnership in the centres.
The starting forward pack is unchanged following a strong performance in Galway. Hinata Komaki, Moe Nagaoka and Wako Kitano again form the front row, with Masami Kawamura and Yuna Sato in the second row. Nami Asari, Sakurako Korai and Jennifer Nduka complete the pack. Nagaoka crossed twice in Galway, while Asari also scored as Japan’s forwards played an increasingly influential role as the match progressed.
There are a number of changes among the reserves. Nijiho Nagata, Nami Yoshida and Juka Fuji continue as the front-row replacements, while Saya Nakamura comes into the matchday squad and is joined by Otoka Yoshimura and Mio Nishimura among the reserve forwards. Suzuka Nakashima and Kanna Hayashi provide the backline cover.
Saturday’s match provides another opportunity for the Sakura Fifteen to continue their development in their first season under Kitagawa. Having shown clear improvement between the Pordenone and Galway matches, Japan will now look to take another step forward against an Ireland side they know will present another significant challenge on home soil.
The match will be broadcast live on J SPORTS 2 and streamed on J SPORTS On-Demand from 21:45 JST.
| Name | Team | Company | Height(cm) | Weight(kg) | DOB | Cap | |
| 1 | Hinata KOMAKI | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Sankyu Inc. | 166 | 75 | 2001/5/9 | 23 |
| 2 | Moe NAGAOKA | YOKOHAMA TKM | Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management Co., Ltd. | 163 | 67 | 1999/6/7 | 9 |
| 3 | Wako KITANO | MIE PEARLS | Sumitomo Wiring Systems | 166 | 95 | 1999/9/8 | 28 |
| 4 | Masami KAWAMURA | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | NTT FACILITIES, INC. | 173 | 75 | 1999/7/13 | 28 |
| 5 | Yuna SATO | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Sankyu Inc. | 170 | 80 | 1998/9/11 | 32 |
| 6 | Nami ASARI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | Hosei Univ. | 171 | 62 | 2008/2/1 | 3 |
| 7 | Sakurako KORAI | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Sankyu Inc. | 166 | 67 | 2003/4/9 | 27 |
| 8 | Jennifer NDUKA | Hokkaido Barbarians Diana | Medical System Network | 168 | 75 | 2000/10/18 | 22 |
| 9 | Moe TSUKUI (C) | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | LIBEST Corp. | 153 | 54 | 2000/3/28 | 50 |
| 10 | Sawa HARADA | Japan Univ. of Economics | Japan Univ. of Economics | 165 | 63 | 2005/3/12 | 5 |
| 11 | Komachi IMAKUGI | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | OKINAYA Co.,Ltd. | 158 | 58 | 2002/1/6 | 37 |
| 12 | Mana FURUTA | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | NTT Facilities Inc. | 167 | 69 | 1997/11/16 | 44 |
| 13 | Uta KATAOKA | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | Dic Solution Engineering Inc. | 166 | 66 | 2004/4/23 | 2 |
| 14 | Haruka HIROTSU | Nanairo PRISM FUKUOKA | Kyushu Fuundou Sales Co., Ltd. | 169 | 71 | 2000/10/29 | 21 |
| 15 | Maiko NISHI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | Graduate School Tsukuba Univ. | 163 | 63 | 2004/1/27 | 3 |
| 16 | Nijiho NAGATA | MIE PEARLS | SEIBUNSHA Co., Ltd. | 162 | 80 | 2000/12/6 | 33 |
| 17 | Nami YOSHIDA | YOKOHAMA TKM | Human Life care Yokohama | 165 | 76 | 1999/4/13 | 7 |
| 18 | Juka FUJI | YOKOHAMA TKM | TMG Head Office, Yokohama Branch | 171 | 85 | 2001/1/22 | 5 |
| 19 | Saya NAKAMURA | MIE PEARLS | Suzuran Clinic | 178 | 79 | 2002/3/15 | 3 |
| 20 | Otoka YOSHIMURA | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | Saitamaken Shinkin Bank. | 174 | 83 | 2001/5/15 | 36 |
| 21 | Mio NISHIMURA | YOKOHAMA TKM | Totsuka Kyoritsu Medical Satellite | 168 | 85 | 2002/11/29 | 10 |
| 22 | Suzuka NAKASHIMA | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Sankyu Inc. | 156 | 53 | 2002/6/19 | 1 |
| 23 | Kanna HAYASHI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | SECOM CO., LTD. | 166 | 66 | 2001/4/30 | 4 |
(c) Captain
Sakura Fifteen 2026 Match Schedule
Friday 4 September
Japan vs Fiji
12-15 (L)
JAPAN BASE Fukuoka
Saturday 19 September
Italy vs Japan
55-21 (L)
WXV Global Series
Pordenone, Italy
Sunday 27 September
Ireland vs Japan
31-24 (L)
WXV Global Series
Galway, Ireland
Saturday 3 October
Ireland vs Japan
Cork, Ireland
Saturday 24 October
Japan vs Wales
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2026 / WXV Global Series
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday 31 October
Japan vs Wales
WXV Global Series
Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park Rugby Stadium, Saitama