Eddie returns from ban for Ireland clash
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Japan kept university student flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito in their starting line-up named Thursday to face Ireland in the Nations Championship, as head coach Eddie Jones returns from suspension.
Ito made his international debut in Japan’s 27-10 win against Italy in Tokyo last week and the 21-year-old impressed enough to keep his place alongside halfback partner Naoto Saito.
Taira Main replaces Kippei Ishida on the left wing in Japan’s only change for Saturday’s Test which will be played in Newcastle, Australia.
Jones returns after serving a four-match ban imposed by the Japan Rugby Football Football Union for abusing match officials on a tour of Australia earlier this year.
Four players, including Ito, made their Japan debuts against Italy.
Japan will also face France in the inaugural Nations Championship in Tokyo on July 18.
*Also read: Ireland make wholesale changes for Newcastle encounter with Japan
Japan: 15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kazuma Ueda, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Yuya Hirose, 11 Taira Main; 10 Ryunosuke Ito, 9 Naoto Saito; 8 Jack Cornelsen, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Ben Gunter; 5 Warner Dearns (captain), 4 Harry Hockings; 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Takato Okabe.
Replacements: 16 Hayate Era, 17 Sojiro Otuska, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Michael Stolberg, 20 Michael Leitch, 21 Tiennan Costley, 22 Itsuki Kamimura, 23 Sam Greene
Date: Saturday, July 11
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Kick-off: 20.10 (19.10 JST; 11.10 IST; 10.10 GMT)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) & Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
