Sunwolves roster and coach revealed

Andrew Durutalo and Tomás Leonardi are among 34 players who have been officially named as part of the first ever Sunwolves team to take part in Super Rugby beginning in 2016. As announced previously on Americas Rugby News, Durutalo leaves the USA Eagles 7s to take part in the competition while Leonardi joins from Toulouse. The duo will be joined in the back row by former Queensland Reds flanker Eddie Quirk, one of only six players in the squad with previous Super Rugby experience.

Veteran Blues second row Liaki Moli bolsters the pack, while former Hurricanes flyhalf Tusi Pisi and Griquas utility Riaan Viljoen – previously of the Cheetahs and Sharks – will help an otherwise inexperienced backline. World Cup front rowers Keita Inagaki and Shota Horie will take part in their 2nd and 3rd Super Rugby seasons respectively.

Other Japanese World Cup squad members include prop Masataka Mikami, hooker Takeshi Kizu, second rows Shinya Makabe and Hitoshi Ono, scrumhalf Atsushi Hiwasa, inside backs Harumichi Tatekawa and Yu Tamura, and winger Akihito Yamada. Durutalo represented the USA and Pisi lined up for Samoa during the tournament. Second row Fa’atiga Lemalu, who looks set to be used as a loose forward for the Sunwolves, has originally named in the World Cup team for Samoa but was a late withdrawal prior to the tournament due to injury.

While the group is considerably stronger than initial suggestions had indicated, missing are a number of Japan’s most prominent World Cup stars. Neither Kensuke Hatakeyama nor Hiroshi Yamashita will line up at tighthead prop, and there are no signs of loose forwards Michael Broadhurst and Amanaki Mafi. Speedy outside backs Kotaro Matsushima, Yoshikazu Fujita, and Kenki Fukuoka are also absent.

Leading the team as head coach is former All Blacks hooker Mark Hammett, last seen as head coach of Cardiff Blues in the Guinness Pro 12. Hammett’s was a long-time player and assistant coach with the Crusaders before being appointed to a lead role with the Hurricanes. He will also act as an assistant coach with the Tasman Makos in the 2016 ITM Cup season.

The Sunwolves will play in one of the South African conferences in the newly designed Super Rugby season, grouped with the Bulls, Cheetahs, and Stormers. Their season kicks off on February 27 against the Lions at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.

FORWARDS
Ziun Gu (Takushoku), Shohei Hirano (Tokai), Keita Inagaki (Panasonic), Shinnosuke Kakinaga (Suntory), Masataka Mikami (Toshiba), Koki Yamamoto (Yamaha), Ryuhei Arita (Coca Cola), Shota Horie (Panasonic), Takeshi Kizu (Kobe Steel), Timothy Bond (Bay of Plenty), Shinya Makabe (Suntory), Liaki Moli (Auckland), Hitoshi Ono (Toshiba), Andrew Durutalo (Seattle), Yoshiya Hosoda (NEC), Fa’atiga Lemalu (Sanix), Tomás Leonardi (San Isidro Club), Tsuyoshi Murata (NEC), Eddie Quirk (Easts)

BACKS
Atsushi Hiwasa (Suntory), Daisuke Inoue (Kubota), Yuki Yatomi (Yamaha), Tusi Pisi (Suntory), Harumichi Tatekawa (Kubota), Riaan Viljoen (Griquas), Derek Carpenter (Toyota Verblitz), Mifiposeti Paea (NTT Docomo), Yu Tamura (NEC), Ryohei Yamanaka (Kobe Steel), Amanaki Loto’ahea (Ricoh), John Stewart (Suva), Akihito Yamada (Panasonic), Yasutaka Sasakura (Panasonic), Hajime Yamashita (Toyota Shokki)

Head Coach – Mark Hammett