Team News: Japan v Asia Pacific Dragons

Team news as Japan open their international season with a pre Asian 5 Nations match against the Asia Pacific Dragons.

Japan v Asia Pacific Dragons
Vene: Hanazono Stadium, Higashiosaka, Osaka
Kickoff: 14:00 (local time), 05:00 (GMT)

For Japan: A very experimental Japan team has been named for this Asian 5 Nations warm up game, which on paper should be a sterner test than most of the Asian opposition they will face and a good opportunity for Eddie Jones to test players against more physical opponents before the June tests.

As was rumoured, former captain Toshiaki Hirose has switched from wing to his old position of fly half. Hirose won't start there in the proper tests when Tatekawa is back, but with Kosei Ono missing due to personal reasons, it is thought he is being lined up as a utility fly half and back three bench option.

The backline is pretty much entirely second or third string. Highly rated young prospect Ryoto Nakamura gets a run out for Japan for the first time since last year's Asian 5 Nations, alongside him will be his Suntory Sungoliath teammate Daichi Murata who usually is a wing but is being tested at 13.

On the wings, Top League try scoring machine Akihito Yamada starts, whilst interestingly young Kai Ishii does as well. Ishii was not named in the Asian 5 Nations squad, but was called up to train with the senior team last year after scoring 8 tries as the leading try scorer in the 2013 Junior World Trophy. He alongside Yoshikazu Fujita who is starting at full back, are the only University players in the lineup.

Captain Michael Leitch (far
left) with ex skipper
Toshiaki Hirose (far right)

The forwards look much stronger than the backs, in fact whilst the front row looks second or third string, the locks and back row are not far off first choice, pretty much the only element of the team that is. Michael Leitch will get the opportunity to captain the side for the first time, the game will be his first in Japan colours for 10 months after a horror injury suffered against Fiji last June.

This game ought to be beneficial for Japan and Eddie Jones to be able to judge players against the Pacific Islanders style of play, however a concern may be if the put together nature of both sides leads to a basketball style contest with lots of missed tackles, which isn't really what Japan need.

Starting XV: 15 Yoshikazu Fujita; 14 Akihito Yamada, 13 Daichi Murata, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Kai Ishii; 10 Toshiaki Hirose, 9 Atsushi Hiwasa; 1 Yusuke Nagae, 2 Takeshi Kizu, 3 Takuma Asahara; 4 Hitoshi Ono, 5 Shinya Makabe; 6 Hendrik Tui, 7 Michael Leitch (c), 8 Ryu Holani.
Replacements: 16 Hiroki Yuhara, 17 Hisateru Hirashima, 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama; 19 Justin Ives, 20 Kyosuke Horie; 21 Keisuke Uchida, 22 Yasuki Hayashi, 23 Kotaro Matsushima.

For Asia Pacific Dragons: Famous All Black Tana Umaga has named a very varied team for this match featuring players from Japan, South Korea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and even a ex Wallaby and ex All Black.

Rupeni Caucaunibuca one of
rugby's most famous names

The standout name in the teamsheet is that of the enigmatic rugby legend Rupeni Caucaunibuca, who was briefly one of the most devastating attacking wingers of all time. Unfortunately now aged 33, poor attitude, fitness and conditioning seem to be catching up on him, but his appearance in a lineup always is of interest to rugby fans just in the very slight hope he might have something left.

Caucau is one of 8 full internationals in the starting lineup. The others are the Samoans Seilala Mapusua and Tusi Pisi, Tongan captain Nili Latu, ex Wallaby Radike Samo, ex All Black Isaac Ross and Japan World Cup squad member Toetu'u Taufa. There are a further three on the bench with Korea's Yang Young Hun, Tonga's Hale T-Pole and former Japan captain Takuro Miuchi who is now 38. Someone who Eddie Jones might have his eye on is winger Kilryong So who featured in in the Japan squad last November as a late call up, but missed out on the Asian 5 Nations Cup squad.

In total the 23 man squad is made up of 7 Japanese, 6 Fijian, 3 Tongan, 2 Samoan, 2 New Zealand, 2 Korean and 1 Australian player.

Starting XV: 15 Tadanobu Ko; 14 Kilryong So, 13 Rupeni Caucaunibuca, 12 Seilala Mapusua, 11 Vilitati Sokiveta; 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Henry Seniloli; 1 Takatoshi Sugawara, 2 Hiro Izumi, 3 Angduk Sung; 4 Manoa Tamaya, 5 Isaac Ross; 6 Toetu'u Taufa, 7 Nili Latu, 8 Radike Samo.
Replacements: 16 Michael Lea, 17 Peni Revai, 18 Sione Pulu; 19 Takuro Miuchi, 20 Hale T-Pole; 21 Yang Young Hun, 22 Sainivalati Ramuwai, 23 Tsuyoshi Iguchi.