Head coach Eddie Jones named four uncapped players in an inexperienced Japan starting XV to face his former team England in Saturday’s Test in Tokyo.
The new faces include a university student in full-back Yoshitaka Yazaki, as Jones prepares for a battle of wits with his former assistant Steve Borthwick, now England head coach.
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For his first match in charge in his second spell with Japan, Jones retains only three starting players from the 39-27 loss to Argentina at last year’s World Cup that confirmed their first-round exit.
Loose forward Michael Leitch, who played under Jones during the Australian’s first stint as Japan head coach from 2012-15, was named captain.
South Africa-born loose forward Lappies Labuschagne was left out after playing for his adoptive country against Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Japan – 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Jone Naikabula, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Tomoki Osada, 11 Koga Nezuka, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Tiennan Costley, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Sanaila Waqa, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takayoshi Mohara.
Replacements: 16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Shogo Miura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Amanaki Saumaki, 20 Kai Yamamoto, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Samisoni Tua.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP
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