Japan Confirm First Test Side

Japan have confirmed their side, which contains former New Zealand Maori flanker Hare Makiri, ex-Otago centre Reuben Parkinson and Australian-born lock Jamie Washington, for Sunday’s first Test.

Ripobitan D Challenge 2005: First Test: Sunday, June 12
Japan v Ireland, Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 6.00am Irish time (deferred “as live” coverage 11.00am, highlights, 6.30pm, RTE Two)

Japan: Goshi Tachikawa; Daisuke Ohata, Reuben Parkinson, Yukio Motoki, Hiroki Mizuno; Kyohei Morita, Wataru Murata; Hiroshi Takahashi, Ken Tsukagoshi, Ryo Yamamura, Takanori Kumagae, Jamie Washington, Hare Makiri, Ryota Asano, Takuro Miuchi (Capt).

Replacements: Masakazu Nakabayashi, Kenji Kasai, Shigeyasu Takagi, Hitoshi Ono, Shota Goto, Tomoaki Nakai, Teppei Tomioka.

IRELAND:

(15) Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
(14) Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
(13) Gavin Duffy (NEC Harlequins)
(12) Kevin Maggs (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
(11) Anthony Horgan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
(10) David Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster) (Capt)
(9) Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
(1) Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
(2) Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
(3) Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
(4) Leo Cullen (Leicester Tigers)
(5) Matt McCullough (Ballymena/Ulster)
(6) Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster)
(7) Johnny O’Connor (Wasps)
(8) Roger Wilson (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

Replacements:

(16) Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster)
(17) Reggie Corrigan (Greystones/Leinster)
(18) Trevor Hogan (Shannon/Munster)
(19) Eric Miller (Terenure College/Leinster)
(20) Kieran Campbell (Dungannon/Ulster)
(21) Jeremy Staunton (Wasps)
(22) David Quinlan (Northampton Saints)

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)