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Keisuke Uchida will make just his second test start, and first against a Tier 2 rugby nation, as he lines up for Japan at scrumhalf on Friday against the US Eagles. Uchida switches spots with Atsushi Hiwasa, having earned his only previous start against the United Arab Emirates in 2013. The change is one of eight made by Eddie Jones from the side that beat Canada on Saturday.
Melbourne Rebels prop Keita Inagaki starts in a new front row alongside veterans Takeshi Kizu and Kensuke Hatakeyama, with the latter assuming the captaincy in the absence of both Michael Leitch and Ayumu Goromaru. The only other change to the pack sees Koliniasi Holani replace Hayden Hopgood at the back of the scrum.
Harumichi Tatekawa has been cleared of serious injury after coming off only 10 minutes into the match against Canada, and he resumes his spot at no10. Lining up beside him is Ryohei Yamanaka, who earns his long-awaited first start after making his test debut as a replacement in 2010. The highly rated Kobelco Steelers midfielder was famously banned from the 2011 World Cup after using a steroid ointment in an attempt to grow a moustache.
Other changes see Akihito Yamada and Karne Hesketh recalled on the wing, while Yoshikazu Fujita starts at fullback for the first time in place of Goromaru. Hiroki Yuhara is the new reserve hooker, and Kosei Ono replaces Toshiaki Hirose as backup flyhalf.
Japan have played the USA on 21 occasions since 1985, winning eight with one draw. They have won each of the last five meetings between the two, including last year’s match in Los Angeles by a score of 37-29.
JAPAN
1 Keita Inagaki 2 Takeshi Kizu 3 Kensuke Hatakeyama (capt.) 4 Hitoshi Ono 5 Luke Thompson 6 Justin Ives 7 Michael Broadhurst 8 Koliniasi Holani 9 Keisuke Uchida 10 Harumichi Tatekawa 11 Akihito Yamada 12 Ryohei Yamanaka 13 Kotaro Matsushima 14 Karne Hesketh 15 Yoshikazu Fujita
16 Hiroki Yuhara 17 Hisateru Hirashima 18 Shinnosuke Kakinaga 19 Kazuhiko Usami 20 Tsuyoshi Murata 21 Atsushi Hiwasa 22 Kosei Ono 23 Tim Bennetts
