Russia head for Japan

The Brave Blossoms of Japan face the Russian Bears at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Tokyo on Saturday.

Both countries have qualified for the Rugby World Cup's final round in New Zealand next year - Japan as it has always done, Russia for the first time.

Both sides will go to New Zealand with realistic expectations, hoping to do well when amongst equals. Japan and Russia would see themselves on the same footing, which makes this match a useful exercise - in itself, of course, and also as preparation for next year.

The teams have met before. Japan won 59-19 in 2002, Russia 43-34 also in 2002, and Japan 29-12 in 2004.

Much depends on the availability of Russian players who play in France. All of the team to play Japan are Russia-based. But all of the Russian players have international experience.

Two of the Japanese side are uncapped - New Zealand-educated fullback Atsushi Tanabe and loose forward Itaru Taniguchi.

Despite their rain-soaked defeat at the hands of Samoa recently, one would expect the Brave Blossoms to win this one.

Teams

Japan: 15 Atsushi Tanabe (Sanyo Wild Knights), 14 Kosuke Endo (Toyota Verblitz), 13 Koji Taira (Suntory Sungoliath), 12 Ryan Nicholas (Suntory Sungoliath), 11 Alisi Tupuailai (Canon Eagles), 10 Bryce Robins (Nec Green Rockets), 9 Koji Wada (Toyota Verblitz), 8 Ryukoliniasi Holani (Sanyo Wild Knights), 7 Michael Leitch (Tokai Univ.), 6 Takashi Kikutani (Toyota Verblitz), 5 Toshizumi Kitagawa (Toyota Verblitz), 4 Hitoshi Ono (Toshiba Brave Lupus), 3 Nozomu Fujita (Honda Heat), 2 Hiroki Yuhara (Toshiba Brave Lupus),1 Hisateru Hirashima (Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers)
Replacements: 16 Shota Horie (Sanyo Wild Knights), 17 Naoki Kawamata (Sanyo Wild Knights), 18 Luke Thompson (Kintetsu Liners), 19 Itaru Taniguchi (Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers), 20 Fumiaki Tanaka (Sanyo Wild Knights), 21 James Arlidge (Nottingham, England), 22 Yuta Imamura (Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers)

Coach: John Kirwan

Russia: 15 Igor Klyuchnikov (Vva-Podmoskovye), 14 Vladimir Ostroushko (Yug Krasnodar), 13 Andrey Kuzin (Vva-Podmoskovye), 12 Sergey Trishin (Vva-Podmoskovye), 11 Vasily Artemyev (Vva-Podmoskovye), 10 Alexey Korobeynikov (Enisey-Stm Krasnoyarsk), 9 Alexander Yanyushkin (Vva-Podmoskovye), 8 Nikita Medkov (Slava Moscow), 7 Kirill Kushnarev (Vva-Podmoskovye), 6 Victor Gresev (Vva-Podmoskovye), 5 Artem Fatakhov (Vva-Podmoskovye), 4 Alexander Voytov (Vva-Podmoskovye), 3 Evgeniy Pronenko (Enisey-Stm Krasnoyarsk), 2 Vladislav Korshunov (Vva-Podmoskovye), 1 Sergey Popov (Slava Moscow)
Replacements: 16 Evgeny Matveev (Vva-Podmoskovye), 17 Alexander Khrokin (Vva-Podmoskovye), 18 Ivan Prishchepenko (Enisey-Stm Krasnoyarsk), 19 Alexey Panasenko (Vva-Podmoskovye), 20 Alexander Shakirov (Vva-Podmoskovye), 21 Alexey Makovetskiy (Krasniy Yar Krasnoyarsk), 22 Oleg Kobzev (Vva-Podmoskovye)

Coaches: Nikolay Nerush, Steve Diamond, Henry Paul

Date: Saturday, 6 November 2010
Kick-off: 14.00
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
Expected weather conditions: Clear with a high of 18°C, dropping to 12°C and an easterly of 14 km/h
Referee: Referee: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), tba