Japan's Ryunosuke Ito kicks the ball during a Nations Championship match against France at Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday. | AFP-JIJI
Jul 19, 2026
Japan coach Eddie Jones said he was excited about the team’s future after some “absolutely outstanding” performances from young newcomers to his team in the Nations Championship.
Japan finished with one win and two defeats from its southern hemisphere series games in the inaugural tournament, beating Italy and losing to Ireland and France.
Jones used the tournament to test several young players, including some who are still in university, such as flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito, prop Sojiro Otsuka and utility back Shunsuke Uenobo.
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