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One significant change for Japan for USA challenge

231 days ago

Japan's Takuya Yamasawa (top) gets up over New Zealand's Finlay Christie after scoring a try during the rugby union Test match between Japan and New Zealands All Blacks at the National Stadium in Tokyo on October 29, 2022. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan head coach Eddie Jones has turned to Takuya Yamasawa at full-back after naming an otherwise unchanged starting XV for the visit of USA this weekend.

Yamasawa wins his 10th cap for the Brave Blossoms after replacing teenage sensation, Yoshitaka Yazaki, in the No.15 jersey. Yazaki, as revealed earlier this week on RugbyPass, has returned to Waseda University’s rugby programme.

The only other change to the matchday 23 from the round one win over Canada comes on the bench, where Amato Fakatava has been named as a replacement lock in place of Eishin Kuwano.

Walk the Talk with Eddie Jones – Trailer | RPTV

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Walk the Talk with Eddie Jones – Trailer | RPTV

Eddie Jones reflects on his career, rugby’s growth in Japan, coaching England and Australia, South African rugby and much more. Full episode coming Tuesday 18 June on RPTV

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Fakatava, 29, hasn’t featured for the Brave Blossoms since the 39-27 defeat to Argentina at Rugby World Cup 2023, when he scored his fifth test try in just seven caps.

Japan:
1. Shogo Miura
2. Atsushi Sakate
3. Keijiro Tamefusa
4. Sanaila Waqa
5. Warner Dearns
6. Tiennan Costley
7. Kanji Shimokawa
8. Faulua Makisi
9. Shinobu Fujiwara
10. Seungsin Lee
11. Malo Tuitama
12. Nicholas McCurran
13. Dylan Riley
14. Jone Naikabula
15. Takuya Yamasawa

Replacements:
16. Mamoru Harada
17. Takayoshi Mohara
18. Shuhei Takeuchi
19. Amato Fakatawa
20. Isaiah Mapusua
21. Taiki Koyama
22. Harumichi Tatekawa
23. Tomoki Osada

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 2 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Of course the green eyed monster has nothing to do with the colour of the respective shirts.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 8 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

So tired of hearing how the refs beat the AB’s perhaps we should look at the NZ ref who was rewarded for the worst refereeing performance in memory at the WC (by Lawrence’s “I froze” own admission,) by becoming the WR high performance ref manager. I think it was the AB kickers who did the team shafting. The real difference wasn’t 14/15 it was Pollard 100% vs AB misses.

120 Go to comments

AD 9 minutes ago

Rob Baxter brands try-scoring machine 'an England bolter'

Even with the lions away I can't possibly see him in this summer's England squad.

Murley, Roebuck and Sleightolme are already around the squad.

Ibitoye, Muir, Hendy, Radwan, and Hassell-Collins would surely be in the queue ahead of him.

He’s an exceptional athlete with loads of potential but right now his handling and decision making are huge work ons and he's a defensive liability.

1 Go to comments

PM 11 minutes ago

Why Jacob Stockdale 2.0 is ready for an Ireland renaissance this summer

You could be right, but I wouldn’t scrub him from the picture just yet. Only turned 29 so could be a decent option for this RWC cycle. He’s had a very good season, in a poor team

2 Go to comments

GrahamVF 19 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Hang on a second in the QF England played Fiji and SA played France. Why were England so much more knackered than SA? Which game would you choose to play? And SA had England in the semi while NZ had a 44/6 romp against Argentina? Don’t think any side ever will again have to play all four of the top nations to win the cup.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 23 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

He is a confidence player. Once he’s missed one he thinks he should have got his confidence is shot. That’s why Pollard came on to kick the winning goals. The difference between The Boks and the AB in the final. Even with 14 men.

if they had had Pollard they would have won.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 27 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Did you watch that game? He score those three tries against any opposition on any day - he was at a different level.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 29 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

He played sweeper for the highly successful 7’s side and his cross defence was outstanding. He’s quicker than some people realise but I’m not sure he would be OK at 15’s FB against someone like Finn at 10.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 34 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The Boks scored freely against France in the first half of the QF before the bench came into play.

120 Go to comments

GrahamVF 35 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

In the late 90’s Nick Mallett coached the Boks and he had Honibal at fly - Rassie at 6 Skinstadt at 8 Breyton Paulse on the wing Joost at his best at scrum half how would they not play running rugby. The destroyed France in Paris and the French crowd started shouting “OLE” every time they touched the ball. The French rugby writers called them the Brazil of rugby. They won 18 on the trot. Then came the Boks’ kicking game phase with Fourie du Preez kicking for Bryan Habana to chase. Over the past three or four years the Boks skill sets are rapidly catching up with the rest of the world - Manie’s no look cross kick, SFM’s incredible skills last weekend - it is very difficult to pronounce on teams unless one watches them week after week. So I resist the temptation to say that without one or two superstars the French skillsets are not that much different to the other top teams.

120 Go to comments

NB 40 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

I think there was a match the other week in Fiji where all the players were out on their feet in the humid heat after one long passage of play! So it’s not the be-all and end-all when it ends in comedy…

Thanks for the Batty story - one of the great small men of the amateur era.

120 Go to comments

NB 43 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

True! And he had him playing #9 at plenty of rucks after a lineout!

120 Go to comments

Cantab 46 minutes ago

The All Black prop who played 80 minutes to sink the Blues

Crusaders front row out muscled the Blues when it mattered. This team has strength fore and aft and may well be the difference when it comes to the play offs.

2 Go to comments

GrahamVF 51 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

I think you’re back on the endless action topic. Boring and thank goodness it will never happen in rugby union. On another topic, was a sports reporter on the Cape Argus when Grant Batty injured his knee during the ‘76 tour of SA. I interviewed him a few times and became friendly with him - he was really interested in the Stellenbosch rugby setup. A top Cape Town orthotics man made the brace for his knee which allowed him to play the rest of the tour.

120 Go to comments

Julio Langworth 1 hour ago

'Individuals are stepping up': Vern Cotter on Beauden Barrett's influence

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3 Go to comments

Mitch 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The smart arse in me is waiting for Matt Williams to accuse Rassie Erasmus of discriminating against forwards by cleverly enlisting Cheslin Kolbe as a lineout thrower as we saw on a couple of occasions last year.

120 Go to comments

Ninjin 1 hour ago

South African rugby's top heavy house of cards

Paar Gim :-)

52 Go to comments

AJ 1 hour ago

Japan's proposed anti-diverse 'blood' eligibility law after foreign player influx

This is a pretty dirty headline.

The proposed changes have nothing to do with ethnicity or keeping foreign players out of Japan rugby circuit.

The proposal is for a quota of development positions for people coming through the Japanese education system, this is why people who have naturalized or resided in Japan following their education are not eligible for these positions. It is understood that for the most part these positions are not intended for veteran players who are “already developed but qualify”. The current suggestion of 11 positions is heavily debated by most coaches who think 6 is a more appropriate number.

This impacts the local league team not the national team, so there are plenty of positions available for everyone. I don't get what the agenda is but this article is just stirring problems that don't exist.

24 Go to comments

DR 2 hours ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

True, Wales struggling , maybe they need to import a few players to get them going again.

Things are happening in Aussie rugby, their Super Rugby teams are doing better as well. Aussies are too competitive to be left behind for too long. Good luck, we need a strong Aussie team.

I like your Italian analogy, enjoy the fight, give your best, no regrets !

Love the game. Play it like Kwagga!

120 Go to comments

Cantab 2 hours ago

New Zealand Sevens name squads for high-stakes World Championship

Only Aussie likely to possibly upset NZ as these 2 teams are way ahead of the others.

5 Go to comments

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One significant change for Japan for USA challenge

Walk the Talk with Eddie Jones – Trailer | RPTV

Walk the Talk with Eddie Jones – Trailer | RPTV

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