Japan v Australia
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Wallabies
IN: Joe Powell, Matt Philip, Ben McCalman, Curtis Rona
OUT: Will Genia (calf), Lukhan Tui (hamstring), Jack Dempsey (hamstring), Israel Folau (sabbatical)1 Scott Sio (39 Tests)
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (78 Tests)
3 Sekope Kepu (87 Tests)
4 Rob Simmons (78 Tests)
5 Adam Coleman (18 Tests)
6 Ned Hanigan (9 Tests)
7 Michael Hooper (c) (75 Tests)
8 Sean McMahon (22 Tests)
9 Nick Phipps (vc) (58 Tests)
10 Reece Hodge (20 Tests)
11 Marika Koroibete (4 Tests)
12 Samu Kerevi (14 Tests)
13 Tevita Kuridrani (54 Tests)
14 Henry Speight (17 Tests)
15 Kurtley Beale (vc) (67 Tests)Reserves
16 Stephen Moore (125 Tests)
17 Tom Robertson (15 Tests)
18 Allan Alaalatoa (19 Tests)
19 Matt Philip*
20 Ben McCalman (49 Tests)
21 Lopeti Timani (9 Tests)
22 Joe Powell (2 Tests)
23 Curtis Rona (2 Tests)*denotes uncapped
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/11/02/Wallabies-Japan-team-announcement
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Hodge at 10?
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@antipodean Cheika said in the presser that Hodge has been training to be the back up 10 for a while.
I don't like it, he has played about half a game at 10 in SR and no time there on test level, but who else is there really? Beale has been tested there and we can all agree he is better suited to a more roaming role.
Also twists my knickers that there are only two backs on the bench, a nine and an outside back, if someone goes down, it will be interesting to see how the backline will be suffled.
Other than that, it is a solid lineup and if Hodge does his job well, it should be a comfortable win.
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Reading that media release (link in my previous post), they are having a couple of injury/illness concerns. It's only Japan, so they should be okay?
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Is that the Japanese test team or the Japanese Barbarians? There are an awful lot on names that don't appear to be Japanese.
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@higgins I think that's normal for Japan? The full squad is posted here: http://en.rugby-japan.jp/2017/10/20/joseph-names-squad-for-autumn-tests/
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@higgins said in Japan v Australia:
Is that the Japanese test team or the Japanese Barbarians? There are an awful lot on names that don't appear to be Japanese.
There’s a lot of non-Japanese born rugby players that have been playing in Japan for many years now, so it’s not surprising.
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Going forward the Tongan influence in particular will get stronger in the Japan national team. Kids offered University scholarships etc.
I wonder too if more mixed-race kids like Matsushima will come through in years to come.
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@rugger-quizzes said in Japan v Australia:
Going forward the Tongan influence in particular will get stronger in the Japan national team. Kids offered University scholarships etc.
I wonder too if more mixed-race kids like Matsushima will come through in years to come.
The Tongans to university scholarship relationships are going to be particularly important for them once the 5 year residency rule kicks in.
Although the kiwis who go there do seem to stay on for a very very long time, but they won't be qualifying as 27/28 year olds like they are now.
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@higgins said in Japan v Australia:
Is that the Japanese test team or the Japanese Barbarians? There are an awful lot on names that don't appear to be Japanese.
TBF to Japan, from the looks of it they only look to have one more foreign born (going by names, not including Matsushima who was SA born) in their starting 15 then what the Wallabies do ...
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@higgins said in Japan v Australia:
Is that the Japanese test team or the Japanese Barbarians? There are an awful lot on names that don't appear to be Japanese.
I had been thinking the opposite when the squad was announced. Compared to some previous years the 'local born' quota is high
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Hodge for Foley + a couple of injuries makes that a near full-strength team. So a bit of respect for Japan there.
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I’ve taken wallabies -12.5 first half handicap. Looks value to me
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Japan played reasonably well but struggled at set piece. Himeno was good around the field but your lineout is going to struggle at international level when you play a 1.87m lock!
Defended well in patches but lacking size all over the pitch.
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Crowd was 43k. Impressive.
Stands seem a long way from the field though.
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@kiwimurph said in Japan v Australia:
Crowd was 43k. Impressive.
Stands seem a long way from the field though.
About half the 2019 RWC stadiums are athletics stadiums, which will put a bit of a dampener on things.
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@kiwimurph said in Japan v Australia:
Crowd was 43k. Impressive.
Stands seem a long way from the field though.
You're Dylan Cleaver?
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Are athletics big in Japan? Why do so many stadiums have an athletic track around them?
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Good hit out for the Wallabies but they won't be too pleased conceding 30 points.
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@hydro11 said in Japan v Australia:
Are athletics big in Japan? Why do so many stadiums have an athletic track around them?
Probably because they are municipal, so tend to be multi-use.
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Only saw the highlights.
Hodge ran on to the ball well and got his backline moving. Not the fuck up most were expecting.
Japan have gone backwards since the WC and Australia seem to be getting what Chieka wants.
Could be a long evening for Wales next Saturday
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@mikethesnow said in Japan v Australia:
Could be a long evening for Wales next Saturday
Yeah, nah.
I saw a bunch of big brown Wallabies beat up a bunch of little Asian kids while the latter's Islander mates watched on.
Mismatches all over the park in terms of size early, and while our structure looked OK, we were never really challenged in the set piece until we'd racked up 50.
Our subs were pretty ordinary and Japan grew a leg to score some hard-fought points in the last quarter.
Wales would probably scratch their chin a bit at Japan's backslide, but know that the Wallaby performance wasn't that great, and there are still glaring weaknesses.
On the plus side for us: we kept trying things, which is how the beat the ABs a couple of weeks ago. We can triumph over Gatlandball if we do this and keep our set piece straight.
