Japan make one change for Springbok showdown

Adam Kyriacou

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has made just one change to his starting line-up that will face South Africa in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

Joseph sticks largely to his winning big-game formula for their first-ever World Cup last-eight match, which takes place in Tokyo on Sunday.

Ryohei Yamanaka, who started against Ireland but was on the bench for the last match against Scotland, runs out at full-back in place of William Tupou, who drops out of the 23.

Second-row Wimpie van der Walt and winger Lomano Lemeki return to the bench alongside number eight Amanaki Lelei Mafi, who is available for the first time since coming off injured against Ireland. Second-row Uwe Helu and flanker Hendrik Tui miss out.

Prop Jiwon Koo starts at tighthead after coming off with a rib injury in the first half against Scotland.

“We’ve achieved the last eight but what we do from here is also important,” said number eight Kazuki Himeno.

“I was thinking of urging my team-mates to shift focus as one of the leaders in the team, but there wasn’t even the need for that. They’re all fired up for the South Africa game.”

Japan: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 5 James Moore, 4 Luke Thompson, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Keita Inagaki
Replacements: 16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Isileli Nakajima, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Amanaki Lelei Mafi, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Lomano Lava Lemeki

Date: Sunday, October 20
Venue: Tokyo Stadium
Kick-off: 19:15 local (11:15 BST, 10:15 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match official: Rowan Kitt (England)