Eddie Jones could send university student to Japan squad to take on England

Yoshitaka Yazaki shone at the Junior Japan competition. Photo: Getty Images

Yoshitaka Yazaki, a 20-year-old university student, could make a strong debut for Japan in the Test against England next Saturday.

The match in Tokyo will be the first coaching match between the head coach Cherry Blossoms by Eddie Jones and his former assistant Steve Borthwick. , as the former was sacked from his position at Twickenham.

Last month Jones named his first Japan training squad since his controversial departure as Wallabies head coach in November and selected 12 uncapped players, including two students. – in a cohort of 35 people.

One of those students, Yazaki, was singled out for praise by Jones after some outstanding performances for the Japan youth team: the uncapped defender (5ft 9ins tall and 85kg) told Japanese media on Wednesday that he is in contention to start line-up against England.

“Eddie told me there was a chance I would play,” Yazaki said. “I don't need to do anything special, I just want to play super-fast rugby with attention to detail in every game.”

Jones previously served as Japan head coach from 2012 to 2015, which included a remarkable victory over South Africa at the World Cup. Shortly after his reappointment in December, he outlined his ambitions: to find a new «adventurous» style; moving from the top eight in the world to the top four; and «creating a new rugby [Shohei] Ohtani» — a reference to the Japanese Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player who is considered one of the greatest Major League Baseball players of all time.

«We need to find a new style» . a game that is adventurous, suits Japanese instincts and attacks in its own way,” Jones said. «We have to go back to the past to create a new future for Japanese rugby.

«It's about how you can get young players to be really ambitious, wanting to be the best players they can be. and create the next rugby [Shohei] Ohtani.”

Ironically, on the same day Jones' potential protégé showed up in Japan, another had retired from the sport entirely. Carter Gordon, the midfielder Jones believed in during last year's Rugby World Cup as he looks to build Australia's future, has signed a two-year deal with the Gold Coast Titans, a rugby league franchise.