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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
While we were living in Belgium, French rugby was very easy to watch on tv and YouTube. Given the ghastly weather, riding indoors on a trainer and watching French rugby was a very passable experience. I became quite a fan.
Interestingly, last week in Buenos Aires I shared a table with a couple from Toulouse, who were at the Toulon game themselves, and were curious how much I knew about French club rugby. I explained the Brussels weather. They smiled and understood.
Now back in CA, biking again.
Go to commentsTotally agree.
It could be that Australia may not have top Coaches coaching at the elite level around the world? Only the ARU can answer that question. My prediction is Australia will beat Scotland and Ireland. Schmidt has now got the right players and tools to develop Australia into a formidable XV.
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