Sunwolves bring in some Japanese muscle
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sunwolves coach Tony Brown has made wholesale changes to his team for their Super Rugby Round 12 trip to Brisbane and an encounter with the Reds.
In all there are 10 changes to the starting with, with a number of members from the Japanese national team getting a rare start with the Sunwolves.
In the front row hooker Shota Horie and loosehead prop Masataka Mikami start ahead of Nathan Vella and Pauliasi Manu – who both drop down to the replacement bench.
South African Grant Hattingh moves from the flank, where he played in last week’s 0-52 loss to the Highlanders, and replaces Mark Abbott at lock. Abbott drops out of the matchday 23 altogether.
The loose trio has undergone a complete reshuffle.
Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco moves from centre, where he played against the Highlanders, to No.8.
Hendrik Tui moves from No.8 to the flank position vacated by Hattingh’s positional switch.
Kara Pryor replaces Shuhei Matsuhashi on the other flank.
The changes continue in the backline, where Kaito Shigeno starts at scrumhalf ahead of Fumiaki Tanaka.
Phil Burleigh returns in the midfield to fill the spot vacated by Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco’s move back to the forwards.
The other midfield change sees Jason Emery replace Josh Timu.
Brown said he hopes the changes will result in a “great performance” against the Reds.
Sunwolves: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Gerhard Van Den Heever, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Phil Burleigh, 11 Semisi Masirewa, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Kaito Shigeno, 8 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 7 Kara Pryor, 6 Hendrik Tui, 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Grant Hattingh, 3 Hiroshi Yamashita, Shota Horie, 1 Masataka Mikami.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Vella, 17 Pauliasi Manu, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Tom Rowe, 20 Ben Gunter, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Yu Tamura, 23 Jamie Henry.
Date: Friday, May 3
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19.45 (18.45 Japan time; 09.45 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe, Damon Murphy
TMO: Ian Smith
