TOKYO – The All Blacks will be wary of Japan’s “flair” under Eddie Jones when the two sides meet in Yokohama on Oct 26, centre David Havili said.
New Zealand face Japan before heading to Europe for Tests on successive weekends against England, Ireland and France, followed by Italy.
“Just the Japanese flair is what we’ve got to look out for this weekend. We know they like to play with the ball a lot, so we have to take control there,” Havili told reporters in Tokyo on Oct 21.
Jones, the former England and Australia coach, is “definitely an innovative coach and you’ve seen that in the teams he has been a part of”, said Crusaders star Havili, 29.
“We have to be ready for something different and I am sure that they will bring that as well,” added Havili, who has played 28 times for the All Blacks.
“It’s all about us making sure that we execute in the right areas of the field. We don’t want to give them the ball and (give away) silly little turnovers that are making us play in our own part of the field.
“So definitely position and territory will be a big one for us.”
Japan made the final of September’s Pacific Nations Cup with three wins in a row but lost to Fiji 41-17, denying the 64-year-old Australian Jones his first title since returning to the Brave Blossoms in 2024.
All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard will play his first Test of the 2024 while Peter Lakai and Ruben Love should make their international debuts on Oct 26.
Roigard shone in the pool stage at the 2023 World Cup but has been sidelined since a serious knee injury early in the Super Rugby season in March.
Now fit, the 23-year-old will pair up with fly-half Damian McKenzie to run the backline against the Brave Blossoms in a starting team featuring only four players who ran out to face Australia in the final match of the Rugby Championship.
Patrick Tuipulotu will captain the side for the first time in place of fellow lock Scott Barrett in the second row of what coach Scott Robertson described as “a big, big pack”.
“It’s a good mix of experienced players in key positions with some great young talent,” Robertson told a news conference in Tokyo.
“Patrick’s got plenty of ‘mana’, he’s a man of few words but the respect he’s got in the group (means) the boys will follow him. Cam’s good to go. He’s excited, you have to pull him back, it’s a great sign.”
Stephen Perofeta, who has also been sidelined by injury, gets his chance to start at fullback in the rare absence of all three Barrett brothers.
Outside back Love earned his All Blacks call-up with an outstanding season in Super Rugby, but a thigh injury scuppered his chances of making his debut at the back end of the Rugby Championship.
His Wellington Hurricanes teammate Lakai, who was also named on the bench, was a late addition to the squad after injuries to loose forwards Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson and Dalton Papali’i ruled them out of the tour.
Said Roberston: “(We need to be) a little bit more clinical and show our skill set, show Japanese rugby the All Blacks way, because I know the Japanese will be playing a fast style.” AFP, REUTERS
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
