Fifita in for Naikabula on the wing - Japan name team to play Argentina

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has announced his squad to face Argentina in Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Sunday 8 October.

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has named his matchday 23 to face Argentina in Nantes on Sunday, with Siosaia Fifita (pictured) replacing Jone Naikabula on the left wing in the only change to the starting XV from the 28-22 victory against Samoa.

1 Keita Inagaki
2 Shota Horie
3 Jiwon Gu
4 Jack Cornelsen
5 Amato Fakatava
6 Michael Leitch
7 Pieter Labuschagne
8 Kazuki Himeno (c)
9 Naoto Saito
10 Rikiya Matsuda
11 Siosaia Fifita
12 Ryoto Nakamura
13 Dylan Riley
14 Kotaro Matsushima
15 Lomano Lemeki

Replacements:
16 Atsushi Sakate
17 Craig Millar
18 Asaeli Ai Valu
19 Warner Dearns
20 Amanaki Saumaki
21 Yutaka Nagare
22 Ryohei Yamanaka
23 Jone Naikabula

•    Head coach Jamie Joseph has made just one change to his starting XV from their 28-22 victory against Samoa with Siosaia Fifita replacing Jone Naikabula on the left wing.  
•    Eight of the XV have started every game at RWC 2023: Amato Fakatava, Keita Inagaki, Jiwon Gu, Jack Cornelsen, Michael Leitch, Rikiya Matsuda, Kotato Matsushima, and Ryoto Nakamura. 
•    In Japan's last game, Lomano Lemeki - who made a try-scoring test debut against Argentina in 2016 - made two line breaks, beat five defenders and carried for 154 metres, including 135 metres over the gain-line. 
•    Kotaro Matsushima, Japan’s top try-scorer at RWC 2019 with five, is the only Brave Blossom to have played every minute at RWC 2023 but has yet to score a try. 
•    Rikiya Matsuda has missed just one kick at goal at RWC 2023.
•    Captain Kazuki Himeno is yet to miss a tackle at RWC 2023, completing all 31 attempts. Only Georgia’s Tornike Jalagonia (48) and Italy’s Lorenzo Cannone (33) have more consecutive tackles without a miss after round four.