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Eddie Jones' Japan make 5 changes in bid to do double over Wales
By Ian Cameron
Eddie Jones has made five changes to his Japan side for Saturday’s second Test against Wales in Kobe despite last weekend’s 24-19 win in Kitakyushu.
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The former England and Wallabies head coach has shuffled both his forward pack and backline for the clash, with Faulua Makisi replacing Amato Fakatava at No.8 and Keijiro Tamefusa coming into the front row for Shuhei Takeuchi.
Toulouse’s Top 14-winning scrum-half Naoto Saito returns to the starting XV, pushing Shinobu Fujiwara to the bench. Halatoa Vailea is rewarded with a start on the wing after his try-scoring impact off the bench in the first Test, while fullback Ichigo Nakakusu replaces the injured Takuro Matsunaga.
There are two uncapped players among the replacements as Jones continues to experiment with his squad ahead of the next Rugby World Cup. Sevens international Kazuma Ueda and former Queensland Reds playmaker Sam Greene are included, with Ueda offering pace out wide and 30-year-old Greene adding fly-half depth.
Last week, Jones named eight uncapped players in his matchday 23 – a clear signal that the veteran coach is using this series to deepen Japan’s talent pool.
Japan matchday 23 to face Wales in Kobe:
15. Ichigo Nakakusu, 14. Kippei Ishida, 13. Dylan Riley, 12. Shogo Nakano, 11. Halatoa Vailea, 10. Lee Seungsin, 9. Naoto Saito, 8. Faulua Makisi, 7. Jack Cornelsen, 6. Michael Leitch (captain), 5. Warner Dearns, 4. Epineri Uluiviti, 3. Keijiro Tamefusa, 2. Mamoru Harada, 1. Yota Kamimori
Replacements: 16. Hayate Era, 17. Sena Kimura, 18. Shuhei Takeuchi, 19. Waisake Raratubua, 20. Ben Gunter, 21. Shinobu Fujiwara, 22. Sam Greene, 23. Kazuma Ueda
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