Japan names Neal Hatley as Deputy Head Coach

Japan Rugby Football Union has named forwards coach Neal Hatley as their Deputy Head Coach on a temporary basis after suspending Eddie Jones for six weeks.

The JRFU announced a 33-man Japan XV squad today for games against a Hong Kong China representative side in Oita this month and the Māori All Blacks in Nagoya on 27 June

Former Bath forwards coach Hatley, who joined the Brave Blossoms coaching ticket in 2024, leads the Japan XV development team and was listed as Deputy Head Coach on the squad announcement due to Jones' ban.

© JRFU

Head coach Jones is currently serving a six-week suspension following his conduct during Japan u23’s tour of Australia in April after Rugby Australia lodged a complaint to the JRFU about remarks the former Wallabies coach made to local match officials.

Jones will miss the Japan select team games against Hong Kong China and the Japan XV game against Māori All Blacks as well as the key opening round Nations Championship clash against Italy on 4 July at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.

The Japan XV squad features a mix of university players, u23 national team players and established League One players with Brave Blossoms experience.

Players still involved in the League One Play-offs and promotion/relegation games were not considered but could be added at a later date for the Māori All Blacks encounter.

Toyota Verblitz prop Taufa Latu and teammate Isaiah Mapusua, former Sunwolves number eight Malgene Ilaua - whose departure from Shizuoka Blue Revs was announced today - join Yokohama Canon Eagles flanker Masato Furukawa and Honda Heat’s in-form back-rower Aseri Masivou in a strong 18-man forwards group.

Highly-talented Shizuoka scrum-half Shuntaro Kitamura, Toyota’s fast-rising fly-half Shinya Komura, young Yokohama full-back Kosho Muto, who only played his first professional game in March, are among the backs line-up alongside Honda veteran Rakuhei Yamashita, former Shizuoka full-back Sam Greene and Meiji University's Jingo Takenoshita.

© JRFU

The squad will meet up in Oita on Monday for a training camp which runs through until Wednesday 27 May with a Japan select team set to play their second game against a Hong Kong China representative team two days later.

Forwards: Sojiro OTSUKA (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.), Kanato HIRANO (Honda Heat), Kenta YAMASHITA (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Shun ARAKAWA (Doshisha Univ.), Shunsuke SAKUTA (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Koki HIDA (Honda Heat), Takumi INABA (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Katsuyuki HOSHINO (Honda Heat), Taufa LATU (Toyota Verblitz), Ryusei KOIKE (Toyota Verblitz), Katsuto KUBO (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Isaiah MAPUSUA (Toyota Verblitz), Jingo MURATA (Toyota Verblitz), Malgene ILAUA (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Masato FURUKAWA (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Kota YAMAUCHI (Hosei Univ.), Aseri MASIVOU (Honda Heat), Rikuto NAKAYA (Doshisha Univ.) Backs: Shuntaro KITAMURA (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Takuro HOJO (Honda Heat),   Haruto WATANABE (Kindai Univ.), Ryunosuke ITO (Meiji Univ.), Riku KITAHARA (Honda Heat), Shinya KOMURA (Toyota Verblitz), Soma OKAZAKI (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Futo SATO (Teikyo Univ.), Chisu LEE (Korea Univ.), Kohaku EBISAWA (Meiji Univ.), Kosho MUTO (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Futo YAMAGUCHI (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Rakuhei YAMASHITA (Honda Heat), Sam GREENE (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Jingo TAKENOSHITA (Meiji Univ.)

Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for full on-site coverage of the Nations Championship