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Yazaki starts for Japan, two debutants on the bench against All Blacks

rugby24 October 2024 07:13| © Reuters
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Yoshitaka Yazaki © Getty Images

Eddie Jones has named exciting youngster Yoshitaka Yazaki at fullback and two uncapped players on the bench for Japan's clash against the All Blacks at Yokohama's International Stadium on Saturday.

Yazaki, who turned 20 in May, is one of the most highly regarded backline talents in Japanese rugby and played five times for the Brave Blossoms earlier this year before missing the back end of the Pacific Nations Cup.

His inclusion is one of five changes to the starting line-up from the team that lost 41-17 to Fiji in the final of that tournament last month.

Hulking Fijian-born winger Jone Naikabula returns to start on the right wing and experienced former skipper Kazuki Himeno comes in at openside flanker for Kanji Shimokawa, who drops to the bench.

Loosehead prop Takato Okabe and hooker Atsushi Sakate will start in a new-look front row with Shuhei Takeuchi, while Sanaila Waqa will run out in the second row in place of Epeneri Uluiviti.

Prop Opeti Helu looks set for his test debut as back-up to Okabe, while flyhalf Takuro Matsunaga could also win his first cap as a replacement.

Harumichi Tatekawa will captain the team from flyhalf while Dylan Riley, who had a brilliant game against the All Blacks two years ago, will reprise his centre partnership with New Zealand-born Nicholas McCurran.

Jones has gone for a 5-3 split in favour of the forwards on the bench for what could be a physical contest against the big All Blacks pack named by his counterpart Scott Robertson on Tuesday.

Japan have never beaten the All Blacks in five attempts but got as close as they ever have to an upset two years ago when they lost 38-31 in Tokyo.

Team: 15-Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14-Jone Naikabula, 13-Dylan Riley, 12-Nicholas McCurran, 11-Malo Tuitama, 10-Harumichi Tatekawa (captain), 9-Shinobu Fujiwara, 8-Faulua Makisi, 7-Kazuki Himeno, 6-Amato Fakatava, 5-Warner Dearns, 4-Sanaila Waqa, 3-Shuhei Takeuchi, 2-Atsushi Sakate, 1-Takato Okabe

Replacements: 16-Mamoru Harada, 17-Takayoshi Mohara, 18-Opeti Helu, 19-Epeneri Uluiviti, 20-Kanji Shimokawa, 21-Taiki Koyama, 22-Tomoki Osada, 23-Takuro Matsunaga.

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