KO 3.00pm at BT Murrayfield
Saturday 26th June 2021
Live on Channel 4
With English players among the last to arrive in camp (and some still on club duty) the Lions’ starting XV is an Ireland / Scotland / Wales select. That ought to hold little fear for the Japanese who won their most recent encounters against both the Irish and the Scots and went down to an 80th minute drop goal the last time they travelled to play the Welsh.
Tale of the tape
BACKS
76 Test tries 45
96kg Average weight 93kg
385 Test caps 177
29.4 Average age 29.6
FORWARDS
909kg Pack weight 889kg
46 Test tries 35
500 Test caps 195
30.9 Average age 30.4
SUBSTITUTES
516 Test caps 60
56 Test tries 7
29.6 Average age 27.4
Teams
British & Irish Lions
15. Liam Williams
14. Josh Adams
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Bundee Aki
11. Duhan van der Merwe
10. Dan Biggar
9. Conor Murray
1. Rory Sutherland
2. Ken Owens
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Iain Henderson
5. Alun-Wyn Jones (c)
6. Tadhg Beirne
7. Justin Tipuric
8. Jack Conan
16. Jamie George
17. Wyn Jones
18. Kyle Sinckler
19. Courtney Lawes
20. Taulupe Faletau
21. Ali Price
22. Owen Farrell
23. Anthony Watson
Japan
15. Ryohei Yamanaka
14. Kotaro Matsushima
13. Timothy Lafaele
12. Ryoto Nakamura
11. Siosaia Fifita
10. Yu Tamura
9. Kaito Shigeno
1. Keita Inagaki
2. Atsushi Sakate
3. Jiwon Koo
4. Wimpie van der Walt
5. James Moore
6. Michael Leitch (c)
7. Lappies Labuschagne
8. Amanaki Mafi
16. Kosuke Horikoshi
17. Craig Millar
18. Asaeli Ai Valu
19. Jack Cornelsen
20. Kazuki Himeno
21. Tevita Tatafu
22. Naoto Saito
23. Rikiya Matsuda
Scot Watch
Rory Sutherland will be the third player to start a game at loosehead prop for the Lions since rugby turned professional, following in the footsteps of Ryan Grant (twice in 2013) and Tom Smith (12 times in 1997 and 2001).
Three Scots have started on the wing for the Lions in the pro era prior to Duhan van der Merwe taking his bow at Murrayfield (Tommy Seymour 3 times in 2017; Sean Maitland twice in 2013; Alan Tait 3 times in 1997). Due to Zander Fagerson’s withdrawal, Duhan is the youngest player in the Lions’ 23.
If the powers that be ultimately decide that the Japan game will be a capped international then Ali Price will join Chris Cusiter (Argentina 2005) in winning a Test cap for the Lions. However, no Scottish 9 has played in a Test series for the Lions since Roy Laidlaw in 1983. That’s despite 8 of the last 10 tours having featured a Scottish scrum half.
Remarkably, Hamish Watson had been scheduled to become the first Scottish player to wear the number 7 shirt for the Lions in the pro era. His late withdrawal means the wait to see a Scot at openside continues – a drought that stretches back 80 matches to Finlay Calder in the third Test against Australia in 1989.
Japan scouting report
With Japan not having played a Test match since the 2019 RWC it’s difficult to say with certainty how they will play. Up until that point though the Brave Blossoms’ head coach, Jamie Joseph, had shown a commitment to a fast-paced, high-skilled style and it’s likely this will continue to provide the foundation for Japan in the current World Cup cycle.
- Contestable kicks: Japan are not keen to give possession away. When they do kick it’s with the aim of retaining the ball in better field position. Against Ireland, Scotland and South Africa during the 2019 RWC the Japanese regathered 33 of their 49 kicks from hand (their opponents only managed that on 28 of 70 kicks).
- Pass masters: the Japanese flung over 200 passes in each of their RWC fixtures against Tier 1 sides. They will keep the ball moving and look to work over the defensive line until they can find a gap. The Lions can expect to blow off any cobwebs chasing the ball around the pitch if Japan get going on Saturday!
- Danger man: with superstar back row Kazuki Himeno only on the bench – due to his late arrival from the Highlanders and Super Rugby Tans Tasman – Kotaro Matsushima has to be the one to watch in the Japanese starting XV. The winger has a superb scoring record, notching a try every 120 minutes in Test rugby (not George Horne numbers but still pretty good!) The Clermont player will be giving away 18cm and 18kgs to opposite man Duhan van der Merwe but he’s never been one to shirk a challenge – and his acceleration and change of direction will be a good test for van der Merwe if the giant Scottish wing has ambitions of covering Cheslin Kolbe in a few weeks’ time.
Officials
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referee 2: Ludovic Cayre (France)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
This will be the last ever international before retirement for M. Gauzere. Fittingly it will come at Murrayfield which has been a regular haunt of his in recent years. The French official has taken charge of 10 Scotland matches in a little over 4 years, with half of those games being played in Edinburgh. Au revoir M. Gauzere!