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One significant change for Japan for USA challenge
By Jon Newcombe
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.
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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Latest Comments
Nah hes a journeyman. Right call
Go to commentsAgreed for the most part. And perhaps Dmac needed a period were he is the 'Hobson's choice' too.
Yes and no, they main concern I had from the situation is Razor didn't really explain why they had developed differing opinions, had he? I've seen too many things happen in life to jump the gun. Fall all we know it was a locked in choice before they found the difference last year and played out this year to see if they were recoverable. I can certainly see where it would be a valid criticism to suggest he spent too much time reviewing his players tripping overseas and not enough work with his team at that time. But things like Tony Brown not even being contacted in the lead up to the naming of the squad are endemic in the union, and for much just as much blame should be laid on someone like Wayne Smith. Some like Mitch would have been aval at the same time too I'd think.
Ultimately I see MacDs time at the Blues much as I saw Ian Fosters time at the Chiefs. Heavily overshadowed by their successors but you could find something good in there if you wanted. Same here. This will play out.
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