Japan arrive at Principality Stadium off the back of a stirring comeback win against Georgia. The Brave Blossoms won a lot of fans during last year’s Rugby World Cup with their free-flowing style and a win over South Africa which will forever live on in rugby legend.
Jamie Joseph, the new Japan head coach, is overseeing a side in transition, but rugby is flourishing in the Far East and the Brave Blossoms play an exciting, high tempo brand of rugby. Here’s four key areas that Wales need to focus on.
1. Make their experience count
Japan have brought an inexperienced touring side to Europe and nowhere is this more apparent than in the pack. The starting pack against Georgia had a combined 66 caps, with hooker and captain Shota Horie accounting for 45 of those.
In the back five of the pack, only number eight Amanaki Mafi has won more than ten caps. Openside flanker Shuhei Nunomaki made his debut against Georgia in a position where Japan have chopped and changed of late, with Shokei Kin, so impressive against Scotland in the summer, missing the tour because of injury.
Mafi is a huge threat with ball in hand, but the Brave Blossoms pack looked somewhat disorganised against a well-drilled Georgian line-out and driving maul and struggled in the set-piece. It’s an area that Wales could target to good effect.
2. Target the half-backs
The half-backs are the creative axis of any team but playing behind a new-look pack, this is especially true for Japan. Scrum-half Fumiaki Tanaka is one of the side’s veterans, with 56 caps and plenty of Super Rugby experience with the Rebels. Fly-half Yu Tamura, with 39 caps to his name, is a dangerous runner and creative with his kicking from hand.
Tanaka is a passing scrum-half, making 26 passes and only one run against Georgia, while Tamura is definitely more of a running threat. The 27-year-old carried the ball six times, making 20m and beating two defenders for two clean breaks, as well as passing 14 times, against Georgia.
Most importantly, though, they make the side tick, providing leadership on the park and setting Japan’s tempo. If Wales’ back row can put them under pressure, Japan’s game plan will be under huge pressure.
3. Watch the wingers
If Japan have an embarrassment of riches in one area, it’s out wide. Lomano Lemeki and Kenki Fukuoka are both former international Sevens players with startling pace, while Karne Hesketh, the man who scored that try against South Africa last year, offers plenty of attacking menace too.
Lemeki also excels defensively, often playing at full-back for the Honda Heat. With ball in hand, both can be devastating. Fukuoka only came on in the second half, but ran 65m, beating two defenders and making two clean breaks, as well as scoring a try.
Lemeki, a more physically direct runner who regularly comes inside looking for work, made two clean breaks and ran for 130m, comfortably the most of any player in the game, and scored a brace. Wales need to keep a close eye on the danger men or they might find, just as Georgia did, that Japan’s wingers could take the game away from them.
4. Use big runners
Japan missed 26 tackles against Georgia with lock Giorgi Nemsadze (five defenders beaten; two clean breaks) and giant flanker Mamuka Gorgodze (three defenders beaten; eight offloads) had a field day, targeting smaller defenders.
Japan tackle low then swamp the breakdown, but if Wales can make inroads with the big boys and then offload, Japan’s defensive style could struggle to cope with the combination of pace and power.
