Eddie Jones calls in university student to Japan squad ahead of Wales tour
The 21-year-old recently featured for Japan U23s on their tour of Australia in April
Japan national rugby union team head coach Eddie Jones poses with a ball
(Image: Getty Images )
Eddie Jones has called a university student into Japan's training squad ahead of their upcoming two-Test series against Wales in July.
A 37-man group will meet up next week for a training camp in Miyazaki City, with Jingo Takenoshita, a third-year student at Meiji University, included in Jones' squad. The 21-year-old is one of 16 uncapped players in a youthful Japan squad - with an average age of just over 26 years old.
There is just one player with more than 50 caps in the training camp, with 87-cap back-row Michael Leitch - a veteran of four World Cups with the Brave Blossoms - likely to be a familiar face to Welsh fans.
The vast majority of the squad are based in Japan.
Only Toulouse scrum-half Naoto Saito is based elsewhere, having joined the French giants from Tokyo Sungoliath last year.
Takenoshita is the stand-out name, given he only celebrated his 21st birthday this week and is still studying at Meiji University.
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He had been involved in the recent tour of Australia by Japan U23s in April, which Jones took charge of.
Takenoshita started all three of their tour matches at full-back. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
Japan started their tour with a 43-31 win over the Australian Barbarians, before losing 26-54 to Australia U20s and 31-36 to Sydney club side Randwick.
The full-back - who was playing for Japan's U20s last year - will be competing with Toshiba's Takuro Matsunaga & Black Rams pair Ichigo Nakakusu & Taira Main in order to feature against Wales next month.
The wider training squad will meet up on Monday for a training camp ahead of the two Tests against Matt Sherratt's side.
Japan welcome Wales to Kitakyushu on July 5, before facing them again in Kobe on July 12.
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Wales head to Japan looking to end a 17-Test losing streak, having not won an international match since the World Cup pool stage victory over Georgia in October 2023.
The run of defeats has seen them tumble down the world rankings to 12th in the world - one place ahead of Japan - while it also cost Warren Gatland his job.
The search for a new head coach is still ongoing - with Cardiff boss Sherratt taking charge of the summer tour on a temporary basis.
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