Japan and Canada squads
Japan play Canada in the first of two Tests at Yurtec Stadium, Sendai on Sunday. The coaches, both All Blacks, Kieran Crowley of Canada and John Kirwan of New Zealand, have announced their squads for the two encounters, the second of which will be on 21 November at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo.
Canada then fly home to play Russia.
There are uncapped players in the Canadian squad – prop Tom Dolezel who plays in New Zealand, lock Brian Erichsen, No.8 Mark MacSween and centres Michael Scholz and Nick Blevins.
Uncapped so for Japan: prop Hisateru Hirashima, hookers Takeshi Kizu and Shota Horie, who is just 21, locks Shinya Makabe and Eiri Nakada, who is just 20, loose forwards Sione Vatuvei, Juntaro Takemoto and Young-Dae Kim, flyhalves Yasunori Nagatomo and Ryo Kanazawa and wing Alisi Tupuailei.
Canada have some players who play overseas. Japan have some overseas players who play in Japan.
Canada squad: Dan Pletch (Oakville Crusaders), Tom Dolezel (Otago University, NZ) , Mike Pletch (Velox Valhallians), Pat Riordan (University of Victoria ) (capttain), Kevin Tkachuk (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland), who has 50 caps, Doug Woolridge (Cowichan), Brian Erichsen (Meralomas), Tyler Hotson (Plymouth Albion, England) Josh Jackson (Bordeaux, France), Adam Kleeberger (Rotherham Titans, England), Chauncey OíToole (Castaway Wanderers), Nanyak Dala (Castaway Wanderers), Mark MacSween (Balmy Beach), Aaron Carpenter ( Coventry, England), Phil Mack (University of Victoria ), Sean White (JBAA), Matt Evans (Hartpury College, England), Ander Monro (Castaway Wanderers), Nathan Hirayama (University of Victoria), Bryn Keys (Moseley, England), Nick Blevins (Velox Valhallians), Michael Scholz (Oakville Crusaders), Sean Duke (University of Victoria), Justin Mensar-Coker (Moseley, England), Ciaran Hearn (Castaway Wanderers), James Pritchard (Bedford Blues, England)
Japan squad: Hisateru Hirashima ((Kobe), Naoki Kawamata ((Sanyo), Tomohiro Kubo ((Toshiba), Yuji Matsubara (Kobe), Yusuke Aoki (Suntory), Shota Horie (Sanyo), Takeshi Kizu Shota Horie (Tokai University), Yoshimitsu Yasue (Kobe), Kensuke Hatakeyama (Suntory), Hiroshi Yamashita (Kobe), Shinsuke Nakamura (Nihon University), Hitoshi Ono (Toshiba), Toshizumi Kitagawa (Toyota), Yuji Kitagawa (Sanyo), Daniel Quate (Toyota), Shinya Makabe (Suntory), Eiri Nakada (Waseda University), Takashi Kikutani (Toyota), Phil Oíreilly (Yokogawa), Ryu Koliniasi Holani (Sanyo), Toetuíu Taufa (Kintetsu), Michael Leitch (Tokai University), Sione Vatuvei (Sanyo), Juntaro Takemoto (Suntory), Masato Toyoda (Toshiba), Young-Dae Kim (Honda), Tomoki Yoshida (Toshiba), Fumiaki Tanaka (Sanyo), Yuki Yatomi (Yamaha), Shota Goto (Kobe), James Arlidge (Newport, Wales), Shaun Webb (Coca-Cola), Masakazu Irie (Sanyo), Ryohei Yamanaka (Waseda University), Hirotoki Onozawa (Suntory), Kosuke Endo (Toyota), Tomoki Kitagawa (Sanyo), Yasunori Nagatomo (Suntory), Takashi Miyake (Sanyo), Ryo Kanazawa (Ricoh), Yuta Imamura (Kobe), Bryce Robins (NEC), Koji Taira (Suntory), Ryan Nicholas (Suntory), Alisi Tupuailei (Honda), Go Aruga (Suntory), Ayumu Goromaru (Yamaha), Kaoru Matsushita (Yamaha)
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)
Assessor: Scott Young (Australia)
