Japan coach Jamie Joseph names most of his squad for upcoming Rugby World Cup in France

TOKYO (AP) — Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has named most of his Rugby World Cup squad, including 13 players who appeared at the 2019 tournament when the Brave Blossoms lost at home in the quarterfinals to eventual champion South Africa.

The squad will depart Japan on Saturday ahead of its final World Cup warm-up match against Italy in Treviso on Aug. 26. With three places in the 33-member squad still to be confirmed, 30 players were announced Tuesday — 15 forwards and 15 backs.

The final squad will be announced ahead of World Rugby’s squad announcement deadline on Aug. 31.

In addition to the 13 players from 2019, prop Keita Inagaki and outside back Kotaro Matsushima were also members of the 2015 squad in England. Hooker Shota Horie and back rower Michael Leitch also featured in New Zealand in 2011, and are both set to represent Japan at their fourth Rugby World Cup.

Prop Sione Halasili and scrumhalf Kenta Fukuda are the only two uncapped players in the squad and nine players have fewer than 10 test caps of experience.

Japan plays in Pool D and will open on Sept. 10 against Chile. Also in the group are England, Samoa, and Argentina. France open the World Cup on Sept. 8 against New Zealand.

“We’re going into the World Cup to win it,” Joseph said. “As a tournament, if you can get to the quarterfinals, anything can happen. So our first step is to make the top-eight and take things from there.

“We understand that’s a massive challenge, but the team takes a lot of confidence from what we achieved in 2019, surprising the world by the way we played and how we went through our pool unbeaten. It’s our challenge to do that again in 2023.”

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Japan squad:

Forwards: Keita Inagaki, Craig Millar, Sione Halasili, Gu Ji Won, Shinnosuke Kakinaga, Asaeli Ai Valu, Shota Horie, Atsushi Sakate, Kosuke Horikoshi, James Moore, Jack Cornelsen, Ben Gunter, Kazuki Himeno, Shota Fukui, Michael Leitch.

Backs: Naoto Saito, Yutaka Nagare, Kenta Fukuda, Jumpei Ogura, Lee Seung Sin, Rikiya Matsuda, Tomoki Osada, Shogo Nakano, Ryoto Nakamura, Dylan Riley, Jone Naikabula, Siosaia Fifita, Semisi Masirewa, Lomano Lava Lemeki, Kotaro Matsushima.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby