Leitch rested as Jones appoints veteran as captain

NEWS: Head Coach Eddie Jones has named 34-year-old centre Harumichi Tatekawa as the captain of Japan’s squad in the Pacific Nations Cup.

Michael Leitch, the flank who led the team during the summer test series shortly after Jones’s appointment, will be resting for this series.

Tatekawa is a player whom Jones, like Leitch, has closely watched grow from a young age.

In April 2012, when Jones first took on the role of head coach for Japan, Tatekawa’s name was on the initial squad list.

At that time, he was just 22 years old.

Three months earlier, as captain of Tenri University, Tatekawa had led his team to its first-ever appearance in the University Championship Final.

Tenri University has a long history in Japan rugby, but it was Tatekawa’s leadership that took them to the Final for the first time in history.

Born and raised in Tenri and starting rugby at the age of four, Tatekawa is known for his excellent passing skills and timing, which are key attributes for his positions as fly-half and centre.

Jones praised Tatekawa’s talent during his initial interview as a Japan head coach, calling him a ‘Tenri boy.’

Tatekawa earned Jones’s deep trust and started at number 12 during Japan’s historic victory over South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, known as ‘The Brighton Miracle.’

However, in 2016, when Jamie Joseph took over as head coach, Tatekawa’s role changed.

His inclusion in the squad became inconsistent, which might have been due to differing expectations regarding the personnel Jamie Joseph needed.

The media and fans have often questioned why Tatekawa was not continuously selected.

He did not participate in the 2019 or 2023 Rugby World Cups, with 43 of his 56 caps coming during Jones’s administration in 2015.

Despite this, Tatekawa maintained his presence with his franchise side, Spears Funabashi-Tokyo Bay.

As captain, he and South African head coach Frans Ludeke worked closely, leading the team to their first-ever Japanese championship in the 2022 season.

With Jones now returning to lead the national team, Tatekawa’s inclusion in the summer test series was a natural progression.

Many Japanese fans welcomed the news with joy.

In the Pacific Nations Cup, Tatekawa will lead the team as captain.

Jones comments, “Haru [Tatekawa] has 56 caps and was a winning captain with Spears.

He has ample experience and can sincerely engage with other players while demanding high standards. I hope he will be a role model for the younger players.”

Harada Mamoru, who joined the squad this spring, adds, “Haru-san [Tatekawa] is great at listening to everyone’s opinions, making it easy for us to work with him.

He is someone we can respect as a person.”

Tatekawa, who contributed to the team as a young and energetic player 12 years ago, now supports Jones as a seasoned veteran.

After nine years, their paths have crossed again.

Tiennan Costley: The Young Player Walking in Tatekawa’s Footsteps

Like the young Tatekawa, the player who walks alongside Jones is No.8 Tiennan Costley.

Born in Auckland in 2000, Costley moved to Japan after graduating from Westlake Boys High School to study at International Pacific University (IPU) in Okayama Prefecture.

IPU made its first appearance in the University Championship in 2022, Costley’s final year.

After graduating, Costley joined the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, playing all 16 matches in his second season last year.

Standing at 192cm and weighing 102kg, Costley is a powerful ball carrier with notable speed and potential as a loose forward.

His presence is also felt off the pitch, where his remarkable proficiency in Japanese stands out.

After arriving in Japan, he studied intensively and now answers all questions at press conferences in Japanese.

His fluent Japanese and witty responses often evoke memories of Michael Leitch in his younger days.

Jones also appreciates his language skills, jokingly saying, “I need to study more Japanese myself.”

Costley’s charming personality is well-known.

At his first team meeting after arriving in Japan, he introduced himself by saying, “Please call me Tama-chan.”

‘Tama’ is a familiar and affectionate nickname in Japan, meaning ‘boy’ in Maori.

He is now known as 'Tama' by everyone on the team.

Costley has admired Leitch since 2015 when Leitch was playing for the Chiefs and had hoped to become a Japanese representative like him.

Having been part of the first squad of the summer Test series, Costley now has two caps, and his caps are expected to increase.

He is also currently studying the lyrics of Japan’s national anthem, ‘Kimigayo.’

“I knew the melody from watching Japan’s games in the World Cup, but I think it’s valuable to know the meaning and sing it.”

The squad, mixing veterans and young players, will showcase their new form in the match against Canada on the 25th of August in Vancouver.

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By: @Rugbypass