New Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu leads the Super Rugby Pacific side to face Suntory Sungoliath in the inaugural Cross Border Rugby game at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.
The new two-week Cross Border Rugby series is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in May 2023 between the Japan Rugby Football Union and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to further the collaboration between the two associations and develop the game of rugby throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Last season’s four League One Division one play-off sides feature for Japan while the Blues and Chiefs fly the flag for New Zealand as part of their Super Rugby Pacific preparations.
The domestic League One season is taking a three-week break to fit in the new Cross Border series.
Last year’s high-profile World Cup All Blacks such as Finlay Christie, Caleb Clarke, Akira Ioane
Rieko Ioane, last season’s Blues captain Dalton Papalii and Mark Telea have all made the trip to Japan but have been left out of the squad for Saturday’s anticipated game.
Rieko Ioane, whose rumoured switch this season to League One’s Black Rams never materialised, has been heavily featured in promotional materials for the game including commercials at the famous Roppongi crossing.
Patrick Tuipulotu (below), who played in Japan for Toyota Verblitz in the inaugural League One season, will lead Vern Cotter’s side.
Scrum-half Sam Nock is one of the few survivors from the Blues’ humbling by the Sunwolves at the same stadium in 2017 as the visitors crumbled in the second half in the scorching heat as the temperature reached 42 degrees.
Suntory will be without their own World Cup stars in Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe who it was revealed on Thursday would be unavailable after being given time off.
The high-flying Fuchu-based team will hand a first-team debut to Argentina ace Nicolás Sánchez who led his country to the semi-finals in France.
The Blues will face Yokohama Canon Eagles, who are without Springboks stars Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel who have returned home to underdog knee surgery and thumb treatment respectively, in Kanagawa on Saturday 10 February.
The 2023 Super Rugby Pacific play-off semi-finalists wrap up their pre-season on home soil against the Chiefs at Takapuna Rugby Club on 16 February before launching their Super Rugby Pacific season against the Fijian Drua in Northland the following week.
Line-up:
Blues: Forbes, Tangitau, Evans, Gordon, Banks, Perofeta, Nock, Sotutu, Segner, Choat, Darry, Tuipulotu (captain), Ta’avao, Eklund, Fusitu’a
Replacements: Riccitelli, Vikena, Lay, Renata, Sheck, McWhannell, Beehre, Thompson, Funaki, Cashmore, Harford
The game will be broadcast live on J SPORTS domestically and on Sky Sport 1 in New Zealand.
12:00 KO Local Time (16:00 New Zealand)
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