Sunwolves Super rugby head coach Jamie Joseph has named his season opening team to play the Brumbies in Tokyo.
Joseph has named Ryoto Nakamura to make his debut for the Japanese Super rugby team.
I’m so happy for being selected as a member to the opening game of the season. Personally the Super Rugby is the first experience, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how much my skills and power can compete at this level.”
“I was watching Sunwolves’ games from outside of the team till last year, and I had an impression that the team had been improving year by year. Also the team gradually increased to play good games. This year must be a transition from a good game to a winning game.
Joseph said that the Sunwolves are expecting a hard match against a “tough opponent”
“(The) Brumbies are a tough opponent. It will be a challenging game for us. I anticipate that they are going to put a lot of pressure on the set pieces like scrum, and lineout. Plus, they have tough backs that really hard to stop. We need to stop their momentum from the source.
“Committing penalties gives the opponent a chance, so even in a tough situation we have to be tough and smart. This is going to be Nakamura’s first game in the Super Rugby.
“Although he didn’t get a chance to play in a test match in last November, he has been showing a good performance in Suntory, and he came to the Sunwolves with the confidence and the best condition. Himeno, also will be making the first cap in the Super Rugby, played well in Toyota.
“He can caver a lot and keeps on surprising me. I am expecting him keep on developing in the tough games. In some stage of competition everyone’s back against the wall, and we have just started, there is only one way.”
“We must keep moving forward,” said Joseph.
Sunwolves
15. Jason Emery, 14. Lomano Lemeki, 13. Timothy Lafaele, 12. Ryoto Nakamura, 11. Hosea Saumaki, 10. Robbie Robinson, 9. Yutaka Nagare, 8. Willie Britz, 7. Pieter Lappies Labuschagne, 6. Kazuki Himeno, 5. Grant Hattingh, 4. Sam Wykes, 3. Jiwon Koo, 2. Shota Horie, 1. Keita Inagaki.
Replacements: Java Bregvadze, 17. Craig Miller, 18. Asaeli Ai Valu, 19. James Moore, 20. Ed Quirk, 21. Fumiaki Tanaka, 22. Hayden Parker, 23. Sione Teaupa.
