Japan's Eddie Jones: We have two world-class no. 10s
Japan head coach Eddie Jones believes that their super-fast brand of rugby can make the Brave Blossoms the team that everyone wants to watch at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Jones’ vastly-improved side has turned a corner this year, winning their first Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) title since 2019 following hard-fought 20-15 win against Fiji in September.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists had made a dream start to the inaugural Nations Championship by beating Italy 27-10 in Tokyo and produced respectable displays in their defeats against Ireland, France and Australia (home and away).
Japan’s high-octane attacking rugby has won admirers overseas and Jones - speaking at the JRFU head office in Tokyo – thinks that his side can be a leading attraction at the game’s showpiece event next year in Australia.
“We want to be the team of the tournament,” said the former Wallabies and England head coach who will turn 67 in January.
The Brave Blossoms will reconvene this Sunday in Beppu for a training camp leading up to their 100th anniversary celebration game against Fiji at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium on Saturday 24 October.
“We want to be the one team everyone wants to watch play at the World Cup,” added Jones.
“We have to keep developing to be adaptable. We have to be robust in difficult situations and when it suits us we want to play our super-fast style of rugby.”
In just under 12 months, Japan will face back-to-back Six Nations winners France, their recent Pacific Nations Cup semi-final victims USA and new-look Samoa who could be a dangerous proposition with a host of top-tier talent committing to play for Tusi Pisi’s team.
Jones hailed his current options and regards his two leading fly-halves as world-class players at a time when a number of tier one nations are still experimenting with their playmakers.
“We are lucky we have two world-class 10’s in Ryunosuke Ito and Lee Seung-sin, that’s fantastic.”
Meiji University fly-half Ito, 21, was handed the keys at 10 in the absence of the injured Kobe Steelers’ co-captain Lee, 25, and has shone as a fast-thinking, twinkle-toed pivot despite being yet to play a professional club game.
The Suntory-bound livewire, who is also a back-up option for his country at scrum-half, thrived in his Test rugby bow against Italy as he helped to orchestrate a famous home win in his first pro game in April.
Jones would like to add one more fly-half to offer competition for his leading duo.
“Ito, in eight matches, has shown that he’s capable of playing Test rugby at the highest level.
“Lee is still recuperating from an Achilles injury. You’d always like three fly-halves to pick from so the search is on to find a third one.”
The 2017 World Rugby Coach of the Year added: “If you look at the tier one nations, how many have a stable number 10? There’s only one, that’s Scotland in Finn Russell."
Jones also weighed in on the likelihood of Japan legend Michael Leitch, 38, being selected for a record-equalling fifth World Cup.
The Toshiba Brave Lupus mainstay has made five appearances off the bench for his country this year and was rested for the PNC.
“We gave him a break during the PNC and will look at him for the November tour. If he’s available and fit he is of great value to the team.
“He came here from New Zealand, he speaks Japanese fluently, we are lucky to have him.
“If you remember the story out Samurai Japan when they won the World Baseball Classic in 2023, Yu Darvish played that role, he brought everyone together. He didn’t play much but had a very important role in bringing everyone together.”
Japan will face Wales, England and Scotland next month in the Northern Hemisphere stage of the Nations Championship.
Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for on-site coverage of Japan’s 100-year centenary match against Fiji on 24 October
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