Japan tweak toughens team for Canada match

Coach John Kirwan hopes less will mean more after making only two changes to the starting line-up for Japan's final match against Canada.

Kirwan, who will try to deliver the country's first Rugby World Cup victory in 20 years, had made 10 changes after each of the first two matches, against France and New Zealand.

Only once before have Japan made fewer changes. In 1991 they made just one switch for the match against Zimbabwe and won it 52-8 for their only victory at a RWC.

The tweaks Kirwan has made for the match at McLean Park are at blindside flanker and tighthead prop. He is replacing Itaru Taniguchi and Kensuke Hatakeyama with Sione Talikavili Vatuvei and Nozomu Fujita, respectively.

Taniguchi, who had started the last two matches, was unavailable for selection because of a calf strain in his left leg. Vatuvei will make his first start of the tournament as Taniguchi's replacement.

Costly errors

Kirwan feels the make-up of his team was not the reason for their 31-18 defeat by Tonga last Wednesday, but that it was mistakes that consigned them to their third-straight loss.

Japan are the only team in Pool A without a victory and they have failed to reach the quarter-finals in all seven of their RWC appearances.

"For me, the Tonga game was about making errors," Kirwan said. "I think we played a good style of rugby. It's just the little things that we need to do better.

"I won't be changing anything from the past. Same as usual, keep going and I think it's all about individual preparation now.

"The guys need to prepare for a big game of rugby, which I'm sure they'll do."