World Cup heroes headed for Canada

Star goal-kicker Ayumu Goromaru is one of 18 World Cup squad members named by Japan in an extended 43-man roster to prepare for their June test series. The Brave Blossoms will first travel to Vancouver to play Canada at BC Place on June 11 before returning home to host Scotland in Aichi and Tokyo on the following two weekends. The group will be reduced to 30 a week prior to departure.

Aviva Premiership pair Kensuke Hatakeyama and Amanaki Mafi are included, as is record cap-winner Hitoshi Ono, one of 19 members of the Sunwolves. Five other Super Rugby franchises are represented, including Fumiaki Tanaka of the Highlanders and Male Sa’u of the Blues. Chiefs loose forward and Brave Blossoms captain Michael Leitch is named but looks likely to skip the Canadian test in order to rest following a demanding calendar with club and country.

His teammate Hiroshi Yamashita has opted to stay in New Zealand with the Chiefs, and three top class wingers – Akihito Yamada, Yoshikazu Fujita, and Kenki Fukuoka – will instead focus on making the Japan 7s squad for the Rio Olympics. Second row Shinya Makabe and flanker Michael Broadhurst have been ruled out with injury.

Yamashita’s absence opens the door for South Korean prop Jiwon Koo (formerly Ziun Gu) to earn selection for the first time. Other newcomers include Sunwolves quartet Yoshiya Hosoda, Kaito Shigeno, Mifiposeti Paea, and Yasutaka Sasakura. Top flyhalf prospect Rikiya Matsuda from Teikyo University will get a good look in training, and Daito Bunka three quarter Hosea Saumaki is named though his eligibility is questionable having previously represented Tonga on the HSBC Sevens Series tournament at the Gold Coast in 2012.

The team will be led by Sunwolves coach Mark Hammett, who fills in on a temporary basis until Jamie Joseph takes over following the completion of the Super Rugby season. Japan are currently in 10th spot on the official World Rugby rankings, eight spots above Canada and just one behind Scotland.

FORWARDS
Takuma Asahara (Sunwolves), Kensuke Hatakeyama (Newcastle Falcons), Keita Inagaki (Sunwolves), Shinnosuke Kakinaga (Sunwolves), Jiwon Koo (Sunwolves), Masataka Mikami (Sunwolves), Shota Horie (Sunwolves), Takeshi Kizu (Sunwolves), Futoshi Mori (Sunwolves), Shoji Ito (Kobe Steel), Naohiro Kotaki (Toshiba), Hitoshi Ono (Sunwolves), Kazuhiko Usami (Sunwolves), Kotaro Yatabe (Panasonic), Taiyo Ando (Sunwolves), Yoshida Hosoda (Sunwolves), Shohei Kin (NTT Comm), Michael Leitch (capt., Chiefs), Hendrik Tui (Reds), Hiroki Yamamoto (Toshiba), Koliniasi Holani (Panasonic), Kyosuke Horie (Yamaha), Amanaki Mafi (Bath)

BACKS
Kaito Shigeno (Sunwolves), Fumiaki Tanaka (Highlanders), Keisuke Uchida (Panasonic), Rikiya Matsuda (Teikyo), Kosei Ono (Suntory), Yu Tamura (Sunwolves), Tim Bennetts (Canon), Ryoto Nakamura (Suntory), Male Sa’u (Blues), Hosea Saumaki (Daito Bunka), Harumichi Tatekawa (Sunwolves), Ryohei Yamanaka (Sunwolves), Karne Hesketh (Sanix), Kentaro Kodama (Panasonic), Kotaro Matsushima (Rebels), Mifiposeti Paea (Sunwolves), Hajime Yamashita (Sunwolves), Ayumu Goromaru (Reds), Ryuji Noguchi (Tokai), Yasutaka Sasakura (Sunwolves)