Rugby-Eddie Jones rings the changes as Japan seek maiden win against Australia


FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Wales v Japan - Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 15, 2025 Japan head coach Eddie Jones before the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo

TOKYO, ⁠Aug 6 (Reuters) - Japan coach Eddie Jones has ⁠shuffled his forward pack and left his ‌backs largely unchanged for Saturday's match against Australia in Osaka, as the Brave Blossoms chase their first ever ​win against the Wallabies.

• Winger ⁠Taira Main has been ⁠elevated from the bench in last month's loss ⁠to ‌France to an otherwise unchanged backline.

• Jack Cornelson has switched from No. ⁠8 to the second row to make ​way for ‌the returning Faulua Makisi.

• Jones has rotated ⁠his props ​again, bringing Takato Okabe and Shuhei Takeuchi in to shore up the front row.

• Openside flanker ⁠Kanji Shimokawa is the other change ​in the pack, with Ben Gunter moving to the blindside.

• Japan have never beaten Australia in ⁠seven previous matches.

Team: 15-Takuro Matsunaga, 14-Kazuma Ueda, 13-Dylan Riley, 12-Samisoni Tua, 11-Taira Main, 10-Ryunosuke Ito, 9-Naoto Saito, 8-Faulua Makisi, 7-Kanji Shimokawa, 6-Ben Gunter, ​5-Warner Dearns (captain), 4-Jack Cornelson, ⁠3-Shuhei Takeuchi, 2-Hayate Era, 1-Takato Okabe

Replacements: 16-Mamoru Harada, ​17-Sojiro Otsuka, 18-Keijiro Tamefusa, 19-Harry ‌Hockings, 20-Michael Leitch, 21-Tiennan Costley, ​22-Shunsuke Uenobo, 23-Yoshitaka Yazaki

(Reporting by John Geddie in Tokyo; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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