Sunwolves reshuffle... again
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sunwolves have made wholesale changes for their Super Rugby Round 16 clash against the Brumbies in Tokyo on Saturday.
Fresh from a humiliating 7-52 defeat to the Rebels in Tokyo, the Sunwilevs have reshuffled their backline and opted to field a new pack.
The most significant modification sees former Australian Super Rugby Player of the Year Amanaki Mafi losing the No.8 jersey to Australian-born Ben Gunter.
In the loose trio, Gunter is joined by Dan Pryor and Yoshitaka Tokunaga.
In the second row, Tom Rowe takes over the No.5 jersey from Luke Thompson.
While, Takuma Asahara, Nathan Vella and Alex Woonton will be the new front-row.
The changes in the backline see New Zealander Jason Emery moves from fullback to outside centre, while flyer Semisi Masirewa will don the No.15 jersey – leaving the left wing spot open for Hosea Saumaki.
The other change in the backline sees Jamie Booth slides into scrumhalf while in-form Hayden Parker retains the pivot positions.
Sunwolves: 15 Semisi Masirewa, 14 Gerhard Van Den Heever, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Phil Burleigh, 11 Hosea Saumaki, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Jamie Booth, 8 Ben Gunter, 7 Dan Pryor, 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Tom Rowe, 4 Mark Abbott, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Nathan Vella, 1 Alex Woonton
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Masataka Mikami, 18 Conan O’Donnell, 19 Yuya Odo, 20 Kara Pryor, 21 Keisuke Uchida, 22 Takuya Yamasawa, 23 Timothy Lafaele.
Date: Saturday, June 1
Venue: Prince Chichibunomiya Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 14.15 ( 05.15 GMT,15.15 Australian Time)
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Nick Briant (New Zealand), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Minoru Fuji (Japan)
三菱地所スーパーラグビー2019 ラウンド16 ブランビーズ戦 サンウルブズ試合登録メンバー発表！
国内最終戦、応援よろしくお願いします！🐺https://t.co/CBAwVcJno2#sunwolves #Awoooo #WEARETHEPACK #Brumbies pic.twitter.com/lSO3Vb1mka— サンウルブズ/SUNWOLVES (@sunwolves) May 30, 2019
