Michael Leitch will become the second player to captain Japan at two World Cups [Source: Rugby.com.au]

Japan coach Jamie Joseph has named his team for the Pool A match against Russia at Tokyo Stadium on Friday, 20 September:

Keita Inagaki
Shota Horie
Asaeli Ai Valu
Wimpie van der Walt
James Moore
Michael Leitch (capt.)
Pieter Labuschagne
Kazuki Himeno
Yutaka Nagare
Yu Tamura
Lomano Lava Lemeki
Ryoto Nakamura
Timothy Lafaele
Kotaro Matsushima
William Tupou

Atsushi Sakate
Isileli Nakajima
Jiwon Koo
Luke Thompson
Hendrik Tui
Fumiaki Tanaka
Rikiya Matsuda
Ryohei Yamanaka

• Michael Leitch will become the second player to captain Japan at two World Cups, following Takuro Miuchi.
• Leitch is one of eight players in Japan’s matchday squad who was also in the 23 that defeated South Africa in the Brave Blossoms’ RWC 2015 opener.
• Like Leitch, Shota Horie and Kotaro Matsushima started then and will start now.
• Fumiaki Tanaka, Luke Thompson and Hendrik Tui started then and are replacements now.
• Keita Inagaki and Yu Tamura were replacements then.
• Yu Tamura has made more test appearances (20) for the Brave Blossoms during Jamie Joseph’s tenure as Japan head coach than any other player. Named in the starting XV, Tamura will extend that number to 21.
• Luke Thompson could become the oldest player to represent Japan in the competition.
• At 38, he is the oldest player at RWC 2019. Should he come off the bench, Thompson will surpass Hitoshi Ono, who was 37 when he played for the Brave Blossoms four years ago.
• Luke Thompson could become the first player to feature for Japan in four World Cups. Yukio Motoki was also part of four RWC squads but was an unused sub in 1991.
• Kotaro Matsushima has recorded at least one try in five of his last six test appearances (six tries in total).
• Jiwon Koo could come off the bench to become the second Korea-born player to feature at the Rugby World Cup, following Kim Chul-Won, who represented Japan in two World Cup matches in 2007.