ASIA FIVE NATIONS: World Cup Qualifying, Asia

25.04.2014
Japan v Hong Kong in Tokyo (Asia Five Nations)

Preview
This game decides who takes the Asia 1 qualifying place at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The loser heads to the repechage round and still has a chance to qualify.

Japan remains undefeated this season in this competition and in fact has never lost a game at this level of Asian rugby and never without a bonus point win. Can Hong Kong burst the Japanese bubble?

In short, no. They could come close, they may event prevent a bonus try win to Japan but this is a hurdle to high for Hong Kong at present. Japan has a vastly superior international programme against tier 2 and tier 1 nations. Hong Kong hosted Belgium last November and before that played in the Emirates Cup where again they played Belgium, hardly a force in world rugby. Japan are in reality light years ahead of their Asian neighbours.

Prediction: Japan by 60 points

TEAMS

Hong Kong

15-Alexander McQueen (Hong Kong CC)
14-Rowan Varty (DeA)
13-Lloyd Jones 
12-Jacobs Phelps (Hong Kong FC)
11-Yiu Kam Shing (Valley FC)
10-Christopher McAdam 
9-Peter McKee 
8-Pale Tauti (Hong Kong CC)
7-Matthew Lamming (Hong Kong CC)
6- Nicholas Hewson, Capt.
5-Paul Dwyer (Hong Kong CC)
4-Jack Delaforce 
3-James Cooper 
2-Alexander Harris 
1-Wei Hon Sum 
Replacements
16-Alex NG Wai Shing 
17-Stephen Nolan 
18-Lachlan Chubb 
19-William Brant (Hong Kong CC)
20-Alexander Baddeley (Valley FC)
21-Hsieh Chun Hang (Hong Kong CC)
22-Thomas McColl (Hong Kong FC)
23-Thomas McQueen

Head Coach: Leigh Jones
Adapted from http://www.japonrugby.net/le-xv-hongkongais-face-au-japon-2014.php

Japan

15-Ayumu Goromaru (Yamaha Jubilo, 36 caps)
14-Yoshikazu Fujita (Waseda, 15 caps) 
13-Male Sau (Melbourne Rebels, Australia, 14 caps) 
12-Harumichi Tatekawa (ACT Brumbies, Australia, 21 caps) 
11-Akihito Yamada (Panasonic Wild Knights, 4 caps) 
10-Yu Tamura (NEC Green Rockets, 20 caps)
9-Atsushi Hiwasa (Suntory Sungoliath, 33 caps)
8-Ryu Koliniasi Holani (Panasonic Wild Knights, 30 caps) 
7-Michael Leitch, Capt. (Toshiba Brave Lupus, 32 caps) 
6-Justin Ives (Canon Eagles, 18 caps)
5-Luke Thompson (Kintetsu Liners, 43 caps) 
4-Hitoshi Ono (Toshiba Brave Lupus, 80 caps) 
3-Kensuke Hatakeyama (Suntory Sungoliath, 53 caps)
2-Shota Horie (Melbourne Rebels, Australia, 28 caps) 
1-Masataka Mikami (Toshiba Brave Lupus, 16 caps) 
Replacements
16-Hisateru Hirashima (Kobelco Steelers, 30 caps) 
17-Takeshi Kizu (Kobelco Steelers, 25 caps) 
18-Hiroshi Yamashita (Kobelco Steelers, 32 caps) 
19-Shoji Ito (Kobelco Steelers, 21 caps) 
20-Shinya Makabe (Suntory Sungoliath, 22 caps) 
21-Hendrik Tui (Suntory Sungoliath, 20 caps) 
22--Keisuke Uchida (Panasonic Wild Knights, 7 caps) 
23-Yasuki Hayashi (Panasonic Wild Knights, 2 caps)

Head Coach: Eddie Jones
Adapted from http://www.japonrugby.net/le-xv-japonais-face-a-hong-kong-2014.php