The Brave Blossoms are gearing up for a high-profile fall tour! Eddie Jones, the coach of the Japanese national team, revealed a list of 37 players to face the All Blacks and especially the French XV on November 9.
A great opportunity for fans to see Japan’s progress, with the added bonus of some faces known to fans of the Top 14. After this first shock at home against New Zealand on October 26, the Japanese will fly to Europe .
Autumn Nations Series. Vibrate and encourage the Blues during France-JAPAN for €25On the program, a test match against France on November 9 in Saint-Denis, before facing Uruguay on November 16 in Chambéry. The tour will end in style on November 24 in London against England, an opposition which promises sparks.
Among those selected, Tevita Tatafu from Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Naoto Saito, who has just joined Stade Toulousain. With 18 and 21 caps respectively, the two players will bring all their experience to the Japanese pack.
During their absence, their clubs will have to make some adjustments to compensate for this lack. In Toulouse, we will therefore have to do without Dupont and Saito. Graou will therefore have to run the house in their absence.
Eddie Jones is banking on a mix of experience and youth to build a competitive squad. Some critics criticize him for a selection policy that is sometimes considered restrictive, but the Australian continues to defend his approach focused on the longevity of the team.
We can’t keep juggling old players and keeping them in the team. We need new talent in Japan. I apologize if this doesn’t fit your selection philosophy, but if I have to repeat it 100 times, I’ll repeat it 100 times. (Eddie Jones via RugbyPass)
The Brave Blossoms will have a hard time facing these strong opponents. This autumn tour will serve as a crucial test for Jones, who aims to refine his squad for the next major international events.
