Injuries hampering Japan’s preparations

Already short-staffed with several top players missing from the initial squad named by coach Jamie Joseph, Japan have seen a further seven players pull out of preparations for their four-match November test series that starts in Tokyo on November 5 against Argentina. Among them is Japan’s most experienced test player, 98-cap veteran Hitoshi Ono who drops out along with fellow lock Kazuhiko Usami. Loosehead prop Keita Inagaki, Olympic 7s rep and loose forward Yoshitaka Tokunaga, flyhalf Kosei Ono, and midfielders Tim Bennetts and Male Sa’u have also left the training group.

Eight players have been added, four of whom have won test caps. Second row Kotaro Yatabe and Sunwolves flanker Yoshiya Hosoda are recalled having made the trip to Canada in June. Takuya Ishibashi comes in having made all four of his appearances in this year’s Asian Championships against Hong Kong and Korea, and World Cup winger Akihito Yamada is fit again to rejoin the team having been left out previously. Veteran props Satoshi Nakatani and Yasuo Yamaji are selected, both over 30 but with no previous international experience. Two foreign-born players also bolster the group, Tongan lock Uwe Helu and New Zealander Timothy Lafaele, a flyhalf or centre.

Also joining preparations as forwards coach is Ben Herring, who previously spent time as an assistant coach with both Canada’s 7s and XVs side, acting as interim head coach of the 7s team before the arrival of Liam Middleton. Herring will also join the Sunwolves coaching staff under head coach Filo Tiatia and is set to stay in Japan through to the 2019 World Cup.

FORWARDS
Kensuke Hatakeyama (Suntory Sungoliath), Heiichiro Ito (Yamaha Jubilo), Masataka Mikami (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Satoshi Nakatani (Yamaha Jubilo), Yasuo Yamaji (Canon Eagles), Koki Yamamoto (Yamaha Jubilo), Takeshi Hino (Yamaha Jubilo), Shota Horie (Panasonic Wild Knights), Takeshi Kizu (Kobelco Steelers), Samuela Anise (Canon Eagles), Uwe Helu (Yamaha Jubilo), Naohiro Kotaki (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Kotaro Yatabe (Panasonic Wild Knights), Yoshiya Hosoda (NEC Green Rockets), Malgene Ilaua (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Kyosuke Kajikawa (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Amanaki Mafi (NTT Shining Arcs), Shuhei Matsuhashi (Ricoh Black Rams), Yuhimaru Mimura (Yamaha Jubilo), Shunsuke Nunomaki (Panasonic Wild Knights)

BACKS
Takahiro Ogawa (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Fumiaki Tanaka (Panasonic Wild Knights), Yuki Yatomi (Yamaha Jubilo), Junpei Ogura (NTT Shining Arcs), Hikaru Tamura (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Yu Tamura (NEC Green Rockets), Takuya Ishibashi (NTT Shining Arcs), Timothy Lafaele (Coca-Cola Red Sparks), Amanaki Loto’ahea (Ricoh Black Rams), Harumichi Tatekawa (Kubota Spears), Yoshikazu Fujita (Panasonic Wild Knights), Kenki Fukuoka (Panasonic Wild Knights), Karne Hesketh (Sanix Blues), Lomano Lemeki (Honda Heat), Akihito Yamada (Panasonic Wild Knights), Kotaro Matsushima (Suntory Sungoliath), Yasutaka Sasakura (Panasonic Wild Knights)

FIXTURES
Nov 5 – vs Argentina – Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
Nov 12 – vs Georgia – Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Nov 19 – vs Wales – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Nov 26 – vs Fiji – Stade de la Rabine, Vannes