Japan’s rugby team will begin their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday without head coach Eddie Jones, who remains sidelined due to a suspension. Jones is serving the final match of a four-game ban handed down by the Japan Rugby Football Union following his misconduct toward match officials during a tour in Australia earlier this year. In his absence, forwards coach Neal Hatley will take charge for the home game against Italy.
Italy arrives in Tokyo buoyed by a strong Six Nations showing, including a historic victory over England and a fourth-place finish—matching their best performance in the tournament. The Italian squad includes two debutants in the starting lineup: flanker Alessandro Ortombina and winger Malik Faissal. The team also features a blend of experience, with Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello in the centers, fly half Paolo Garbisi, and scrum half Stephen Varney.
Hatley anticipates a physically demanding contest, highlighting the northern hemisphere team’s strength in the forwards. “The sides from the northern hemisphere have a very good scrum, very good drive,” he said. “They’re very forward-dominated, so that’s where we expect the hardest part of the game to be and we’re prepared for that.” Japan has also included four uncapped players in their matchday squad, with university student Ryunosuke Ito named to start at fly half.
Japan’s captain Warner Dearns, fresh from winning the Super Rugby title with the Wellington Hurricanes, and scrum half Naoto Saito, who secured the French Top 14 crown with Toulouse this season, are among the key figures leading the home side. Dearns expressed a desire to build momentum ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup, describing the team’s development trajectory since Jones took over as head coach three years ago. “This is the third year since Eddie started coaching us,” Dearns said. “We got a lot better last year and this year we want to get better again.”
Italy’s head coach Gonzalo Quesada acknowledged that preparation had been challenging, citing player rustiness after a postseason break and fatigue from a long-haul flight to Japan. Nonetheless, he praised the team’s commitment and stressed the need to adapt their strategy to counter Japan’s fast-paced style. “They showed the kind of exciting rugby they want to play, full of speed,” Quesada said. “We know it can be super challenging for us but we have worked on the strategy that can beat their style and try to also impose our rugby we want to play.”
Following their encounter with Japan, Italy will face New Zealand in Wellington and Australia in Perth as the Nations Championship continues. Quesada described the upcoming fixtures as “terribly hard” but said the team was eager to begin. “We know that we have to start playing the best rugby we can and not waste time and miss opportunities,” he added.
Japan’s Nations Championship schedule also includes matches against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia, and France in Tokyo later this month. Both teams will be aiming to gain valuable form and confidence ahead of the World Cup, which Japan will host next year.