2015 Rugby World Cup Preview: Japan
By Matt Findlay
Versatility.
That's what Japanese head coach and former Wallabies mentor Eddie Jones touted when talking selections for the Cherry Blossoms' 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) squad, and he's made good on the promise.
Jones opted for 17 forwards and 14 backs in his squad, and the inclusion of utility backs Kosei Ono and Toshiaki Hirose enbaled Jones to only include two specialist scrum-halves, with versatile forwards like Justin Ives also named.
"We know Kosei can fill in at nine, while Hirose has special qualities as he can play 10 and wing and his leadership off the field is so important for us," Jones was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
Another glaring feature of Jones' squad is the amount of imported talent throughout; Chiefs back-rower Michael Leitch will skipper the side, with the squad also including include Reds back-rower Hendrik Tui, second-row forward Michael Broadhurst, New Zealand-born Luke Thompson along with former Australian rugby league star Craig Wing.
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