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Round three of the Pacific Nations Cup will take place on Wednesday evening in Toronto, where the Flying Fijians will face off against the Brave Blossoms of Japan. Fiji are coming off a 30-30 draw against Samoa in a tremendous game of running rugby, while Japan stumbled against the US Eagles, conceding 14 unanswered points to lose 23-18.
John McKee has changed 10 players in the starting lineup, five each from the backs and forwards. Campese Ma’afu and Tale Tuapati return to the front row, and Tevita Cavubati takes up a spot in the second row beside Leone Nakarawa. Dominiko Waqaniburotu is recalled on the blindside, and Malakai Ravulo starts on the openside, with captain Akapusi Qera bumped to the back of the scrum
The new halfback combination is Henry Seniloli and Josh Matavesi, while Levani Botia gets another chance after a barnstorming effort against Tonga in round one. Napolioni Nalaga runs out on the left wing, and Metuisela Talebula slides up to the right wing to accomodate Kini Murimurivalu at fullback. Tighthead prop Isei Colati awaits his first appearance of the tournament as a reserve.
Eddie Jones has swapped nine of the players that faltered at Bonney Field, and recalled a number of his first choice players, including Super Rugby trio Henrik Tui, Fumiaki Tanaka, and captain Michael Leitch. Tanaka replaces Keisuke Uchida at scrumhalf, while Tui and Leitch form a new-look back row with Michael Broadhurst, the latter retained despite receiving a last-minute yellow card against the Eagles.
Shota Horie starts at hooker beside Hiroshi Yamashita, with Shoji Ito getting his first PNC run at lock. Yu Tamura is back in the no12 jersey, and Akihito Yamada switches to the right side to make room for new left winger Kenki Fukuoka. Vice-captain Ayumu Goromaru returns to take the kicking duties from fullback.
The two sides have met on 15 occasions since 1990, with Fiji coming out on top in 12 of those, including a 22-8 victory in June 2013, played in Lautoka. Japan last beat Fiji in 2011, a 24-13 upset also in Lautoka.
FIJI
1 Campese Ma’afu 2 Tale Tuapati 3 Manasa Saulo 4 Tevita Cavubati 5 Leone Nakarawa 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu 7 Malakai Ravulo 8 Akapusi Qera (capt.) 9 Henry Seniloli 10 Josh Matavesi 11 Napolioni Nalaga 12 Levani Botia 13 Vereniki Goneva 14 Metuisela Talebula 15 Kini Murimurivalu
16 Sunia Koto 17 Peni Ravai 18 Isei Colati 19 Nemia Soqeta 20 Peceli Yato 21 Nikola Matawalu 22 Ben Volavola 23 Waisea Nayacalevu
JAPAN
1 Keita Inagaki 2 Shota Horie 3 Hiroshi Yamashita 4 Luke Thompson 5 Shoji Ito 6 Michael Broadhurst 7 Michael Leitch (capt.) 8 Hendrik Tui 9 Fumiaki Tanaka 10 Harumichi Tatekawa 11 Kenki Fukuoka 12 Yu Tamura 13 Kotaro Matsushima 14 Akihito Yamada 15 Ayumu Goromaru
16 Hiroki Yuhara 17 Hisateru Hirashima 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Hitoshi Ono 20 Justin Ives 21 Atsushi Hiwasa 22 Kosei Ono 23 Yoshikazu Fujita
