Eddie Jones rings the changes as Japan seek maiden win against Australia
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Wales v Japan - Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 15, 2025 Japan head coach Eddie Jones before the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
TOKYO, Aug 6 : Japan coach Eddie Jones has shuffled his forward pack and left his backs largely unchanged for Saturday's match against Australia in Osaka, as the Brave Blossoms chase their first ever win against the Wallabies.
• Winger Taira Main has been elevated from the bench in last month's loss to France to an otherwise unchanged backline.
• Jack Cornelson has switched from No. 8 to the second row to make way for the returning Faulua Makisi.
• Jones has rotated his props again, bringing Takato Okabe and Shuhei Takeuchi in to shore up the front row.
• Openside flanker Kanji Shimokawa is the other change in the pack, with Ben Gunter moving to the blindside.
• Japan have never beaten Australia in seven previous matches.
Team: 15-Takuro Matsunaga, 14-Kazuma Ueda, 13-Dylan Riley, 12-Samisoni Tua, 11-Taira Main, 10-Ryunosuke Ito, 9-Naoto Saito, 8-Faulua Makisi, 7-Kanji Shimokawa, 6-Ben Gunter, 5-Warner Dearns (captain), 4-Jack Cornelson, 3-Shuhei Takeuchi, 2-Hayate Era, 1-Takato Okabe
Replacements: 16-Mamoru Harada, 17-Sojiro Otsuka, 18-Keijiro Tamefusa, 19-Harry Hockings, 20-Michael Leitch, 21-Tiennan Costley, 22-Shunsuke Uenobo, 23-Yoshitaka Yazaki
