Suntory Sungoliath’s Cheslin Kolbe returns for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath against division one leaders Saitama Wild Knights at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium on Saturday.
Double World Cup-winning Springbok Kolbe, who returned to South Africa while his team played in the Cross-Border Rugby series, is restored to the starting line-up while All Blacks captain Cane, who was originally announced to start on Thursday, has been withdrawn from the team due to injury in the latest line-up on Friday.
Kolbe returns to the starting 15 against the inaugural League One division one champions at full-back for the visitors with Japanese full-back Kotaro Matsushima among the replacements.
Evergreen Japan legend Hendrik Tui makes his first start of the season at number eight. Cane was due to play at openside flanker but has been replaced by Sota Oketani.
There’s no room in the matchday squad for Argentine veteran Nicolas Sanchez who has to make do with a run-out on Sunday in a training match against a second-string Wild Knights side as Japan’s fly-half starlet Mikiya Takamoto wears the number 10 jersey.
Former Sunwolves winger Shota Emi makes his 50th appearance for Suntory on the left wing.
Brave Blossoms scrum-half Yutaka Nagare starts ahead of club and international colleague Naoto Saito.
In-form Suntory sit third in the 12-strong top-flight with five wins from six games while Robbie Dean’s unstoppable leaders have a 100 percent record and overwhelmed New Zealand’s Chiefs 38-14 in their sole Cross-Border Rugby fixture.
Line-ups:
Suntory Sungoliath: Kolbe, S Ozaki, T Ozaki, Nakamura, Emi, Takamoto, Nagare, Hendrik, Oketani, Shimokawa, Hockings, Jeffries, Kakinaga, Horikoshi, Morikawa
Replacements: Go, Hay, Nakano, Hashimoto, Oketani, Saito, Punivai, Matsushima
Wild Knights: Noguchi, Osada, Riley, de Allende, Koroibete, Matsuda, Koyama, Cornelsen, Boshier, Fukui, de Jager, Abbott, Fujii, Sakate, Millar
Replacements: Yamasawa, Aso, Uchida, Onishi, Mitchell, Ai Valu, Perez, Horie
Pictures courtesy of Suntory and Wild Knights
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