Japan Sakura XV Hope To Avenge Irish Defeat

The Japanese Women’s Sakura XV will look to improve on the heavy 57-22 defeat suffered at the hands of the Irish women last week as they play the final test of the Taiyoseimei Japan Rugby Challenge Series 2022 at Tokyo’s historic Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium on Saturday 27th August 2022.

This will also be the Japanese final home test match before the Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand and the side has won four of their six matches this year thus far.

Sakura Fifteen Assistant Coach, Louise Dalgliesh told the JRFU website: “Last weekend was disappointing. There were areas of the game that we didn’t control the way we should have, including our discipline and defensive work. However, we were able to take some critical learnings, to make sure we’re moving forward toward the big picture of the World Cup. This week we will be better prepared, knowing where the Irish will try to play from and how they will approach the game. We will be more clear on our defensive responsibilities and make sure we don’t give them the same opportunities and space.”

Image Credit: JRFU – Seina Saito earns her 31^st test cap and will become the most capped Sakura Fifteen player.

Japan Squad Game#2 vs Ireland August 27 2022

Japanese back row Seina Saito earns her 31^st test cap and will become the most capped Sakura Fifteen player ever. She is joined by Captain and tight-head prop, Saki Minami who earns her 25^th cap.

Scrumhalf Megumi Abe returns to the starting side after coming off the bench last weekend, and front-row reserve Sachiko Kato returns to the side for the first time since the Sakura Fifteen’s European tour in November 2021. Kato has spent the last two seasons playing in England for the Exeter Chiefs.

1- (c) Saki Minami (24 caps) 2-Nijihoto Nagata (7 caps) 3-Yuka Sadaka (11 caps) 4-Yuna Sato (5 caps) 5-Maki Takano (15 caps) 6-Misaki Suzuki (30 caps) 7-Iroha Nagata (14 caps) 8-Ayano Nagai (9 caps)  9-Megumi Abe (9 caps) 10-Ayasa Otsuka (8 caps) 11-Komachi Imakugi (8 caps) 12-Shione Nakayama (6 caps) 13-Mana Furuta (13 caps) 14-Hinano Nagura (9 caps) 15- Rinka Matsuda (4 caps)

Replacements: 16-Makoto Lavemai (16 caps) 17-Kotomi Taniguchi (2 caps) 18-Sachiko Kato (9 caps) 19-Kie Tamai (12 caps) 20-Otoka Yoshimura (4 caps) 21-Moe Tsukui (18 caps) 22-Minori Yamamoto (20 caps) 23-Kyoko Hosokawa (6 caps)

Image Credit: IRFU

Ireland Squad Game#2 vs Japan August 27 2022

Irish Head coach Greg McWilliams has fielded more uncapped players for the match, last weekend six uncapped players were involved in the win in Shizuoka. For the second match, a number of players are unavailable (Dorothy Wall and Sam Monagha, Christy Haney and Nicole Cronin, are unavailable due to injury) and the coach will continue to build test squad depth.

Back-rower Jo Brown will earn her debut while Jess Keating and Emma Tilly could win their first caps off the bench.

The Irish back-line remains unchanged for Saturday’s clash and McWilliams said on the IRFU website: “We were really pleased with last weekend’s victory and it was a reward for the hard work the whole group have put in over the course of the summer programme, but the focus for us has been on improving, growing and being better on Saturday.”

1-Laura Feely (23 caps) 2-Neve Jones (12 caps) 3-Linda Djougang (23 caps) 4-Hannah O’Connor (13 caps) 5-(c) Nichola Fryday (28 caps) 6-Jo Brown (0 caps) 7-Edel McMahon (20 caps) 8-Grace Moore (4 caps) 9-Ailsa Hughes (15 caps) 10-Dannah O’Brien (1 cap) 11-Aoife Doyle (11 caps) 12-Enya Breen (15 caps) 13-Aoife Dalton (1 cap) 14-Natasja Behan (1 cap) 15-Meavh Deely (1 cap)

Replacements: 16-Emma Hooban 17-Chloe Pearse 18-Katie O’Dwyer19-Taryn Schutzler 20-Jess Keating (0 caps) 21-Molly Scuffil-McCabe  22-Leah Tarpey 23-Emma Tilly (0 caps).

2022 Rugby Tournaments and Matches

• HSBC World Rugby LA Rugby Sevens 2022.
• Japan XV will Host Australia A in Three Match Series in 2022.
• First Matches for RWC 2022 Sevens Revealed.
• Rugby World Cup 2021 Players to Wear Smart Mouthguards.