Eddie Jones has turned to an unlikely source of inspiration as Japan prepare to face the Wallabies for a second time in Townsville on Saturday.
The eccentric coach has shown his players videos of geese to improve their support play.
Japan narrowly lost 35-32 to Australia in last week’s first Test in Osaka, prompting Jones to make five changes to his starting XV for the rematch.
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The former Wallabies and England coach believes Japan’s support play was not sharp enough in the first Test, and has used the movements of geese as a lesson for his players.
“The reason we watch videos of geese is that the head of the flock is like the ball-carrier,” Jones said.
“The ball carrier is king, and then everyone else has got to follow after that.
“The geese fly hundreds, thousands of miles in formation and they follow the one goose in front, and it’s the responsibility of the support players to respond to what the ball-carrier does.”
Jones has also made a significant change to his backline, handing Waseda University student Yoshitaka Yazaki his Test debut on the right wing.
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The 22-year-old will, however, have a broader role, with Jones revealing that Yazaki will operate “as a second fullback”.
Shunsuke Uenobo will make his first start at centre, while Haruto Kida comes into the starting XV on the left wing.
Tiennan Costley has been brought into the back row and Harry Hockings returns at lock.
JAPAN – 15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shunsuke Uenobo, 11 Haruto Kida, 10 Ryunosuke Ito, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Faulua Makisi, 7 Tiennan Costley, 6 Ben Gunter, 5 Warner Dearns (c), 4 Harry Hockings, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Hayate Era, 1 Takato Okabe.
Bench: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Sojiro Otsuka, 18 Izi Sword, 19 Jack Cornelsen, 20 Michael Leitch, 21 Itsuki Kamimura, 22 Samisoni Tua, 23 Kazuma Ueda.
Photo: Masterpress/Getty Images
The post Eddie’s Brave Blossoms channel inner goose appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Eddie Jones has turned to an unlikely source of inspiration as Japan prepare to face the Wallabies for a second time in Townsville on Saturday.
The post Eddie’s Brave Blossoms channel inner goose appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
