Jones urges Japan to 'create history' against Wales

France 24

10-07-2025

Japan came from behind to beat the Welsh 24-19 in Kitakyushu last weekend and they are now looking to claim consecutive wins over a Tier One country for the first time.
Jones again named an inexperienced line-up, with four starters winning their second caps and four uncapped players on the bench.
Scrum-half Naoto Saito, who won the French Top 14 title with Toulouse last month, returns to the starting line-up in place of Shinobu Fujiwara.
Jones said it was "important that we just keep growing as a team".
"Japan has never had a record of beating a top-tier team back-to-back so we've got a chance to create history," said Jones, who again named Michael Leitch as captain after an outstanding display from the 36-year-old last week.
"But the more important thing for us is that we know we can play better.
"We played well in the first game -- we know we're going to have to play with more intensity, more effort, execute our plays."
Last week's game was played in 31 Celsius heat with high humidity making ball-handling difficult.
The forecast for Saturday is three degrees hotter and the game will be played in a stadium with a retractable roof.
Jones said he did not know if the roof would be open or closed, but remarked that it was "quite ironic talking about roofs when you're playing against Wales".
"Having known the goings-on when you go there with England, whether it's going to be open or closed, is it going to rain, is it not going to rain," he said.
"All those machinations are the same in every country in the world.
"When we go up in the northern hemisphere, no one turns the heaters on."
Jones made five changes to his starting line-up.
Backs Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea, who both scored after coming off the bench to make their debuts in last week's game, were named in the starting XV.
Japan (15-1):
Ichigo Nakakusu; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Halatoa Vailea; Seungsin Lee, Naoto Saito; Faulua Makisi, Jack Cornelsen, Michael Leitch (capt); Warner Dearns, Epineri Uluiviti; Keijiro Tamefusa, Mamoru Harada, Yota Kamimori.