Eddie Jones hoping for sweltering conditions when Japan faces wounded Wales
Eddie Jones said Thursday he wants Japan to "run Wales off their feet" in two tests next month while conceding he had made mistakes in an underwhelming return to coaching the Brave Blossoms.
A wounded Wales heads to Japan having lost its last 17 tests — a record for a Tier One country in the professional era — including a humiliating 68-14 thrashing by England in Cardiff.
The pugnacious Australian Jones is also looking for a morale-boosting win after mixed results since returning to lead Japan at the start of last year.
The former Wallabies and England head coach said it was "a good time and a bad time" to face Wales, which will be missing Tomos Williams and Jac Morgan, who are on British and Irish Lions duty.
"Obviously having 17 losses in a row dents the confidence of the team and as a result they've only got two Lions players," Jones said after announcing his squad for a training camp ahead of the games.
"Normally on a tour like this you'd expect eight or nine players to be out, so they'll be basically full-strength."
Wales will again be led by caretaker coach Matt Sherratt, who took over midway through the Six Nations following Warren Gatland's unsuccessful second stint in charge.
Jones predicted that the "law of averages" meant Wales' losing streak would end soon.
But he said the heat and humidity in Kitakyushu and Kobe could give Japan an advantage.
"We're hoping that it's a nice hot day, the sun comes out, and we can really run Wales off their feet," said Jones, who first led Japan from 2012 to 2015.
Japan has won four games and lost seven since Jones came back, and was beaten by 40 points or more by New Zealand, France and England last year.
The 65-year-old admitted he had made mistakes.
"Coming back to Japan, I didn't understand how much Japanese rugby had changed, how the players' thinking had changed," he said.
"Did I coach well last year? No, I don't think I coached very well last year, 100%. So I've taken that on board."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
6 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Rugby: Maori All Blacks run away with 53-20 win over Japan XV
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- New Zealand's Maori All Blacks overpowered a Japan XV 53-20 in a non-test international on Saturday, running away with the contest after a close first half at Tokyo's Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Two first-half tries from winger Kazuma Ueda helped the hosts take a 17-15 lead into the break, but the second half belonged to the visitors as they ran in six unanswered tries and avenged a 26-14 loss in the previous meeting between the sides last July. Japan head coach Eddie Jones said the "big loss" provided "a lot of good lessons" for a squad comprised largely of young players looking to break into the test team. "For a lot of these guys, it's their first game above League One, so it's a much higher level of game," Jones said. The Australian tactician praised the efforts of players including flanker and match-day captain Kanji Shimokawa, but said his team had come up short "in the air" and around the opposing ruck. "We got beaten in the air, in terms of the quality of our kicking and our ability to take the ball in the air, and the second part was just in terms of being able to stop the speed of their ruck," he said. Japan will play the first of two test matches against Wales at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu next Saturday.
Kyodo News
17 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Baseball: Ohtani homers in 2nd straight game as Dodgers down Royals
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 14:43 | Sports, All Shohei Ohtani hit a home run for the second straight game and also had an RBI triple as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday for their fifth consecutive win. The two-way star slugged a leadoff homer to right off a 1-2 changeup from Noah Cameron (2-4) at Kauffman Stadium, going deep for the National League lead-extending 29th time this year. Trailing 4-3 with a runner on and no out in the fifth, Ohtani then tied the game by lining a drive to right-center for a triple off the left-hander's 1-1 four-seamer, and scored the decisive run on a Mookie Betts single. Ohtani went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk on the eve of his next pitching start against the Royals on Saturday, his first away game on the mound this season. Tomoyuki Sugano had a wild start and surrendered seven runs over five innings on nine hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk, but picked up the unlikely win as the Baltimore Orioles roared back to batter the Tampa Bay Rays 22-8. Jonathan Aranda and Josh Lowe hit a solo shot each before Brandon Lowe cranked a three-run shot to right off Sugano (6-4) in a six-run second at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles scored four runs in the home half and added another in the third to cut the arrears before Sugano allowed his last run in the fourth on three straight singles. However, a Colton Cowser RBI double and Gary Sanchez's two-run shot in the fifth gave the Orioles a lead they would not surrender. "In my long baseball career, it's probably the first time I earned the win giving up this many runs," said Sugano after his team amassed 14 runs over three innings after he got the hook. "I was tense and couldn't get the subtleties of my control right. I know the reason why." Related coverage: Baseball: Imanaga gets win in return from injury, Ohtani hits 28th HR Baseball: Dodgers' Yamamoto, Angels' Kikuchi pitch teams to victories Baseball: Shohei Ohtani hits 300th homer of combined Japan-U.S. career
Kyodo News
19 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Rugby: Maori All Blacks run away with 53-20 win over Japan XV
KYODO NEWS - 28 minutes ago - 21:14 | Sports, Rugby, All New Zealand's Maori All Blacks overpowered a Japan XV 53-20 in a non-test international on Saturday, running away with the contest after a close first half at Tokyo's Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Two first-half tries from winger Kazuma Ueda helped the hosts take a 17-15 lead into the break, but the second half belonged to the visitors as they ran in six unanswered tries and avenged a 26-14 loss in the previous meeting between the sides last July. Japan head coach Eddie Jones said the "big loss" provided "a lot of good lessons" for a squad comprised largely of young players looking to break into the test team. "For a lot of these guys, it's their first game above League One, so it's a much higher level of game," Jones said. The Australian tactician praised the efforts of players including flanker and match-day captain Kanji Shimokawa, but said his team had come up short "in the air" and around the opposing ruck. "We got beaten in the air, in terms of the quality of our kicking and our ability to take the ball in the air, and the second part was just in terms of being able to stop the speed of their ruck," he said. Japan will play the first of two test matches against Wales at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu next Saturday. Related coverage: Rugby: Back-to-back League One champion Richie Mo'unga repeats as MVP Rugby: Bond between Mo'unga, Leitch underpinned Brave Lupus triumph Rugby: Brave Lupus outlast Spears for back-to-back League One titles
