Japan, which is taking part in the Rugby Test Match 2024 Autumn Nations Series, which brings together the best teams from the northern and southern hemispheres, will face England on November 25 (Japan time). WOWOW, which is broadcasting all the matches in the series live, will broadcast and stream "England vs Japan" on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand from 12:40 a.m. on the 25th.
Former Japan national team player Shotaro Onishi, who will be commentating on WOWOW's "England vs Japan" broadcast, gave an interview to WOWOW, in which he talked about the current state of the Japan national team, points to note ahead of the England match, and what he would like to convey as a former national team player.
--Japan beat Uruguay 36-20, marking their first win of this European tour.
Ideally, it would have been nice to win big and move on to the next match against England, but they were not an opponent that could be beaten so easily. I think the players were keenly aware that this was a test match, but in the end they won despite the sin bin (a 10-minute suspension) and red card (sentence to dismiss). That's all that matters. The important thing is how to use this victory for the next game. It was also great that we were able to finish the game by scoring a try.
--So the victory was the biggest gain of all.
Yes. The level is different from when I was representing Japan, but from my experience back then, players who have been together for a long time can be mentally worn down if they go through a period of not winning. So winning like this and being able to move on to the next game is a bigger deal than you would imagine.
--After we were down a man due to the red card in the 26th minute of the second half, we held on defensively and did not allow the opponent to score.
Japan's disciplined team style and national character were on display (after the red card). The spirit of having someone else cover for them when one player is down was well-evident.
--Of course, there are still issues to be addressed.
Although I understand that the core of the team's training program is attack, I am concerned about defense. There were many scenes where individual tackles led to the opponents getting in the way or passing the ball to the other side. Is the cause of this in the defensive system or individual tackles? We will be able to find out in the next match against England, but the issue of conceding many goals remains.
--Scrum half Saito Naoto is leading the Japanese national team as captain.
In the match against Uruguay, Saito calmly chose to aim for a penalty goal when the forwards were eager to "attack," and he remains calm even in big matches. I felt that he has grown a step further since playing in France (Toulouse in the TOP14).
--Were there any other players who performed well?
Number 8 Himeno Kazuki was in a class of his own. There were many scenes where the opponents' attacks were slowed down, and I felt that Himeno's goals were different. Also, flanker Shimokawa Koji's work rate was very good, so I think their presence is huge.
--As a team, were there any areas where you felt you had improved since the match against France on November 10 (lost 52-12)?
It's difficult to make a simple comparison because the opponents are different, but I feel that the speed of support at the breakdown (the contact point, the battle for the ball) and the speed of passing the ball have improved.
--And now we're finally facing the culmination of this year's match against England. What kind of match do you expect or expect it to be?
I think England, the birthplace of rugby, will definitely try to beat the Japanese national team. There will be pressure on the Japanese national team because it's a match at the sacred ground (Allianz Stadium in Twickenham), but the important thing is how much they can show what they've learned as a team under head coach Eddie Jones. And I hope that this match will show us the future of the Rugby World Cup in 2027, where Japan will be even stronger if they continue with this style.
--England, on the other hand, have lost to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, and are yet to win a game in this Autumn Nations series.
--England's game content has not been that bad, and they have had some good moments and I think they have momentum, but they have not been able to win close games due to really small differences in play, such as one kick. For them, this match against Japan is at home, so it is a battle they cannot afford to lose. For Japan, it is a match to see how well they can fight against such a serious England team.
--What kind of style do you think England will show?
I expect them to aggressively move forward and defend against Japan's attacks. How Japan responds to that defense will be important. If we just keep passing the ball continuously like we have done in the past, they will drop back, and that will give the English forwards the advantage, so how we attack England, such as kicking into the space behind them to slow down the line speed of the defense, will be one of the key points.
And since these are the teams that played their first test match since 2024 (after the summer), it will be a show of how much they have grown. Moreover, since England is the team where Eddie was once the head coach, it will be a show of determination for both teams. In that sense, it is an exciting match.
--Which English player are you paying particular attention to?
It is definitely SO (stand-off) Marcus Smith. With his experience, he has become able to play fantastically while also doing a solid job. I think there is a great possibility that Eddie will discover him and he will be a threat to the Japanese national team. In the forwards, we need to be careful of flanker Chandler Cunningham-South, who is known for his intensity. He's an aggressive player, unlike the steady type like former national team flanker Courtney Lawes, so I feel that having him makes England a bit of a different team.
--England has a lot of tough players, but as an alumnus, what are your thoughts and anything you'd like to say about the current Japanese national team?
I've personally experienced how just one win can change the atmosphere of a team. I want to be able to say, and I think it's something that must be done, that it was the victory against Uruguay that brought the team together and made everyone move in the same direction.
*The broadcast and streaming schedule for the "Rugby Test Match 2024 Autumn Nations Series" is as follows.
Week 4: France vs Argentina = 4:55am on November 23rd (WOWOW Prime, WOWOW On Demand) ▽ Ireland vs Fiji = 11:55pm on November 23rd (WOWOW On Demand) ▽ Wales vs South Africa = 2:25am on November 24th (WOWOW On Demand) ▽ Italy vs New Zealand = 4:55am on November 24th (WOWOW Prime, WOWOW On Demand) ▽ Scotland vs Australia = 10:25pm on November 24th (WOWOW On Demand) ▽ England vs Japan = 12:40am on November 25th (WOWOW Prime, WOWOW On Demand)
Week 5: Ireland vs Australia = 11:55pm on November 30th (WOWOW On Demand)
