Rugby-Late call-ups Shimokawa, Fakatava start for Japan against Chile

Late squad call-ups Kanji Shimokawa and Amato Fakatava will both start Japan's opening Pool D match against World Cup debutants Chile in Toulouse on Sunday.

Flanker Shimokawa, who has played two tests, and lock Fakatava, who made his debut this year, were called into the squad last week when coach Jamie Joseph dropped Uwe Helu and Shogo Nakano due to "conditioning issues". Shimokawa gets his chance at openside flanker in the absence of Pieter Labuschagne, who is serving a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle in Japan's final Pacific Nations Cup match against Fiji in early August.

"Shimo was an unlucky player not to have made the initial selection and through injury he gets an opportunity," Joseph told reporters. "He is the type of player we will need against a very gritty and tough forward pack. Shimo is that sort of guy."

Tonga-born Fakatava was a standout in the disappointing Pacific Nations Cup campaign and joins Jack Cornelsen in the second row having recovered from an ankle injury that threatened to prevent him from playing in the tournament. In the backline, Rikiya Matsuda was preferred to Lee Seung-sin at flyhalf and free-scoring Semisi Masirewa moved to fullback with Kotaro Matsushima taking his place on the wing.

"I just think Matsushima has played, for Japan, better on the wing than he has at fullback," said Joseph. "He is a very quiet man. We need a guy who can talk and communicate a lot at fullback. He is an awesome rugby player in terms of how he can attack and there is less responsibility around communicating when you are on the wing."

Lomano Lava Lemeki was included as cover for the backs on the bench, offering the former Sevens international the chance to earn his first test cap since the 2019 World Cup. "He can play at (flyhalf), he can play at centre, fullback which is the key to why we selected him," Joseph added.

"In our team environment he has been very positive, really awesome." Japan's run to the quarter-finals in 2019 captured the hearts of a nation but their form this year has suggested they will do well to match it in France.

The Brave Blossoms were beaten 42-21 by Italy in their final warm-up and they also lost at home to Samoa and Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup. A convincing win over the Chileans at Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday is essential given the pool also includes former champions England and twice semi-finalists Argentina.

"We need to have confidence to go out and play without worries," said captain Kazuki Himeno. "Just keep building and believe in what we have done, trust the team." Japan team: 15-Semisi Masirewa, 14-Kotaro Matsushima, 13-Dylan Riley, 12-Ryoto Nakamura, 11-Jone Naikabula, 10-Rikiya Matsuda, 9-Yutaka Nagare, 8-Kazuki Himeno (captain), 7-Kanji Shimokawa, 6-Michael Leitch, 5-Amato Fakatava, 4-Jack Cornelsen, 3-Koo Ji-won, 2-Atsushi Sakate, 1-Keita Inagaki

Replacements: 16-Shota Horie, 17-Craig Millar, 18-Asaeli Ai Valu, 19-Warner Dearns, 20-Shota Fukui, 21-Naoto Saito, 22-Tomoki Osada, 23-Lomano Lava Lemeki.

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