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Lions v Japan

Historic Rugby Fixture British and Irish Lions v Japan at Murrayfield

17 June, 2021 in Featured, Japan, News by Asia Rugby

Historic Rugby Fixture British and Irish Lions v Japan at Murrayfield, For the first time in rugby union history, Japan will play the British and Irish Lions.

It will be an exciting occasion and Japan will be determined to send the Lions off on their tour to South Africa with a defeat. Japan will take on some of the best players from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

If Japan replicate the skill and intensity they produced during from the World Cups of 2015 and 2019, then victory can be theirs.

The Lions have picked a squad that boasts a mixture of power and pace. Japan will endeavour to meet that challenge with the fast style of play that we have become accustomed to.

The Lions play together every four years. The make-up of the squad means that many of the players haven’t played together in a long time, some never at all.

They’ll be rusty and will be trying out different combinations before they take on the Springboks. It will be an excellent opportunity for Japan to register a win against Britain and Ireland’s best.

Japan is developing into a formidable team. The historic win against South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup will live in the memory as one of the great upsets in the game.

Japan didn’t sit back to bask in the glory of that win. Instead, they have been driven to get better and better. What they achieved in the 2019 Rugby World Cup showed just how far they have come.

In their own World Cup, they recorded wins against tier-one nations Ireland and Scotland and reached the quarter-finals of the competition.

RWC 2019 delivers Michael LeitchAgainst the Lions, head coach Jamie Joseph will want his team to keep the ball alive and employ a high tempo game plan.

They must not allow the Lions to settle into the match and must continually move the ball and change the point of attack.

The Lions have picked world-class lineout operators. Japan must target them and disrupt the lineout as much as possible because the lineout will be a springboard for the Lions attack.

In late June, the ground in Murrayfield will be firm and fast, and that will suit Japans game plan perfectly. They’ll be taking on world-class players like Alun Wyn Jones, Maro Itoje, Stuart Hogg and Conor Murray.

It will be an epic battle and I think it will be close. Japan will be highly motivated to add a Lions scalp to the Springbok one they took in 2015.

Michael Leitch will lead the Japan v Lions in Edinburgh. As captain, he’s always been an example for the rest of the team to follow, determined and courageous.

Lions v Japan

Japan will play with pride and passion in this historic game.  The contest will prepare the British and Irish Lions well for South Africa because Japan will push them all the way and make them work hard for the win.

Japan National TeamWider Training Squad for 2021 was Announced on May 24, the final squad members went through a team camp in Beppu, Oita, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu from May 26 to June 8. As previously announced, the Brave Blossoms played a warm-up match at ECOPA Stadium in Shizuoka on June 12, against the Sun wolves.

British & Irish Lions V Japan

The Brave Blossoms are scheduled to fly to Scotland on June 16 to take on the British & Irish Lions at BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh on June 26.

British & Irish Lions Website: Link 

The Japan National Team Wider Training Squad for 2021

Forward: 29

Position Name Club Team Graduate cm kg DO.B Caps
PR Shunsuke ASAOKA TOYOTA Verblitz Teikyo Univ. 186 121 1996/06/24 –
PR Keita INAGAKI PANASONIC Wild Knights Kanto Gakuin Univ. 186 116 1990/06/02 34
PR Asaeli Ai VALU PANASONIC Wild Knights Saitama Institute of Technology Univ. 187 115 1989/05/07 14
PR Shinnosuke KAKINAGA SUNTORY Sungoliath Waseda Univ. 180 115 1991/12/19 9
PR Kengo KITAGAWA KUBOTA Spears Dosisha Univ. 178 110 1992/08/27 3
PR Jiwon KOO HONDA Heat Takushoku Univ. 183 118 1994/07/20 13
PR Isileli NAKAJIMA KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers Ryutsu Keizai Univ. 186 125 1989/07/09 8
PR Craig MILLAR PANASONIC Wild Knights Univ. of Otago 186 116 1990/10/29 –
PR Yukio MORIKAWA SUNTORY Sungoliath Teikyo Univ. 180 113 1993/02/06 –
HO Atsushi SAKATE PANASONIC Wild Knights Teikyo Univ. 180 104 1993/06/21 21
HO Shunta NAKAMURA SUNTORY Sungoliath Meiji Univ. 176 100 1994/02/28 –
HO Yoshikatsu HIKOSAKA TOYOTA Verblitz Tsukuba Univ. 178 99 1991/01/18 –
HO Kosuke HORIKOSHI SUNTORY Sungoliath Teikyo Univ. 175 100 1995/06/02 2
LO Mark ABBOTT Munakata SANIX Blues Univ. of Canterbury 197 111 1990/02/20 –
LO Wimpie VAN DER WALT NTT DOCOMO Red Hurricanes Nelspruit HS 188 112 1989/01/06 16
LO Ryota HASEGAWA PANASONIC Wild Knights Daito Bunka Univ. 188 100 1993/05/12 –
LO Uwe HELU YAMAHA Jubilo Takushoku Univ. 193 113 1990/07/12 16
LO James MOORE Munakata SANIX Blues Brisbane State HS 195 110 1993/06/11 8
LO Liaki MOLI HINO Red Dolphins St. Paul’s College 197 110 1990/01/04 –
FL Naoki OZAWA SUNTORY Sungoliath Keio Univ. 182 102 1988/10/08 4
FL Ben GUNTER PANASONIC Wild Knights Brisbane Boys’College 195 120 1997/10/24 –
FL Jack CORNELSEN PANASONIC Wild Knights Univ. of Queensland 195 110 1994/10/13 –
FL Shuhei MATSUHASHI RICOH Black Rams Meiji Univ. 180 99 1993/11/24 8
FL Pieter LABUSCHAGNE KUBOTA Spears Univ. of the Free State 189 106 1989/01/11 8
FL Michael LEITCH TOSHIBA Brave Lupus Tokai Univ. 189 113 1988/10/07 68
No.8 Tevita TATAFU SUNTORY Sungoliath Tokai Univ. 183 124 1996/01/02 3
No.8 Lui NAEATA KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers Ryutsu Keizai Univ. 193 118 1994/02/02 –
No.8  Amanaki Lelei MAFI CANON Eagles Hanazono Univ. 189 112 1990/01/11 27
No.8 Kazuki HIMENO TOYOTA Verblitz Teikyo Univ. 187 112 1994/07/27 17

Backs: 23

Position Name Club Team Graduate cm kg DO.B Caps
SH Koki ARAI CANON Eagles Teikyo Univ. 175 80 1993/05/14 –
SH Taiki KOYAMA PANASONIC Wild Knights Daito Bunka Univ. 171 74 1994/10/31 –
SH Naoto SAITO SUNTORY Sungoliath Waseda Univ. 165 73 1997/08/26 –
SH Kaito SHIGENO TOYOTA Verblitz Daito Bunka Univ. 170 75 1990/11/21 10
SO Yu TAMURA CANON Eagles Meiji Univ. 181 92 1989/01/09 63
SO Doga MAEDA NTT Communications ShiningArcs Tsukuba Univ. 178 88 1996/11/30 4
SO Rikiya MATSUDA PANASONIC Wild Knights Teikyo Univ. 181 92 1994/05/03 24
WTB Shota EMI SUNTORY Sungoliath Gakushuin Univ. 1991 95 1991/12/08 –
WTB Jone NAIKABULA TOSHIBA Brave Lupus Setsunan Univ. 177 95 1994/04/12 –
WTB Siosaia FIFITA KINTETSU Liners Tenri Univ. 187 105 1998/12/20 –
WTB Shogo NAKANO SUNTORY Sungoliath Waseda Univ. 186 98 1997/06/11 –
WTB Kotaro MATSUSHIMA ASM Clermont Auvergne Toin Gakuen HS 178 88 1993/02/26 39
WTB Ataata MOEAKIOLA KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers Tokai Univ. 186 108 1996/02/06 4
WTB Lomano Lava LEMEKI Munakata SANIX Blues Runcorn HS 177 94 1989/01/20 15
CTB Yusuke KAJIMURA SUNTORY Sungoliath Meiji Univ. 181 95 1995/09/13 1
CTB Shane GATES NTT Communications ShiningArcs Muir College Boys’ HS 183 95 1992/09/27 –
CTB Ryoto NAKAMURA SUNTORY Sungoliath Teikyo Univ. 181 92 1991/06/03 24
CTB Dylan RILEY PANASONIC Wild Knights The Southport School 187 102 1997/05/02 –
CTB Timothy LAFAELE KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers Yamanashi Gakuin Univ. 186 100 1991/08/19 23
FB Seiya OZAKI SUNTORY Sungoliath Teikyo Univ. 175 85 1995/07/11 3
FB Ryuji NOGUCHI PANASONIC Wild Knights Tokai Univ. 177 83 1995/07/15 13
FB Gerhard van den HEEVER KUBOTA Spears Univ. of Pretoria 192 102 1989/04/13 –
FB Ryohei YAMANAKA KOBE STEEL Kobelco Steelers Waseda Univ. 188 100 1988/06/22 18

British & Irish Lions V Japan

Team Staff

Position Name Organization
National Team Director Yuichiro FUJII Japan Rugby Football Union
Head Coach Jamie JOSEPH Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Coach Tony BROWN Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Coach Scott HANSEN Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Coach Shin HASEGAWA Japan Rugby Football Union
Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrew BEARDMORE Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Chihiro OTA Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Adam KEEN Munakata SANIX Blues
Analyst Andrew WATTS Otago Highlanders
Analyst Shumpei HAMANO Japan Rugby Football Union
Team Doctor Sohei TAKAMORI Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital
Performance Coordinator Karl MCDONALD Japan Rugby Football Union
Athletic Trainer Takehiko HAMANO Musashino Atlastars Orthpedic Sports Clinic
Physiotherapist Satoshi KUNITSUGU Yokohama Sports Medical Center
Mental Coach David GALBRAITH Japan Rugby Football Union
Interpreter Nao YOSHIMIZU Japan Rugby Football Union
Baggage Master and Assistant Interpreter Josh WESTBROOK Japan Rugby Football Union
Team Manager Takenori OMURA Japan Rugby Football Union
Assistant Yumiko SASABAYASHI Japan Rugby Football Union
Team Media Manager Sayuri SHIDA Japan Rugby Football Union

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Filed Under: Featured, Japan, News Tagged: Japan

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