Japan hope to play with style

POOL A France v JapanTomorrow, 7am (Irish-time) N Harbour Stadium, Auckland Live on UTV & Setanta Ireland

JAPAN PLEDGED to unleash an all-new “Japanese style” to rival France’s “champagne rugby” at the World Cup as they announced a strong line-up to face the European heavyweights this weekend.

Coach and All Blacks great John Kirwan said yesterday the Brave Blossoms would put on a display of expansive, committed rugby tomorrow as they go in search of just their second World Cup win.

“What you’ll see on Saturday night is an incredibly committed group of rugby players that know how to play the game. We’ve chosen a style that suits us and we’re hoping that that style you’ll see very quickly,” Kirwan said.

“We call it ‘Japanese style’. I think if you talk about French rugby, when they play their best you call it ‘champagne rugby’. I’m hoping that on Saturday night after the game you’ll understand what Japanese rugby is.

“For us it’s about playing the game expansively and showing courage and commitment in all facets of play.”

Kirwan made just two changes from last month’s warm-up defeat to Italy, with Luke Thompson coming in for the injured Justin Ives and veteran Hirotoki Onozawa getting the nod on the wing.

Flanker Takashi Kikutani remains captain of the team which claimed their fourth straight Asian Five Nations title in May and lifted a maiden Pacific Nations Cup in July.

“These guys are definitely the guys who are on form. We had two guys who are unavailable through injury – Justin Ives and (Yuta) Imamura – so besides those two these are the 22 that we decided are playing the best at the moment,” Kirwan said.