Japan Rugby Team Names Squad for Canada Match
Listen to the story
Japan's national rugby team has announced its squad for an upcoming match against Canada, scheduled for the 5th.
Head coach Eddie Jones selected the players who will represent Japan in the game.
Among the announced players are scrum-half Naoto Saito and fly-half Ryunosuke Ito, two key positions in rugby.
Saito and Ito will start the match together, marking the sixth consecutive game they have begun as a pair.
Coach Jones commented on the duo, saying he hopes they will grow into a world-class combination.
He explained that he wants the two players to be able to sense each other through their eyes and bodies during play, showing strong understanding on the field.
This kind of connection between a scrum-half and fly-half is often seen as crucial for a team's attacking play.
Separately, another player, Shimokawa, spoke ahead of the Canada match on the 5th. He said the team must be tough and show no mercy at the contact areas of the game, referring to moments like tackles and rucks where players physically clash.
The match is part of Japan's ongoing preparation and competition schedule, though the exact tournament or series was not specified in the announcement.
Fans will be watching closely to see whether the Saito-Ito partnership continues its strong run of form against Canada.
Vocabulary10 words
- squad
- a group of players chosen for a team
- start
- to play from the beginning of a game, not from the bench
- world-class
- very good; among the best in the world
- contact
- physical touching or hitting between players in a game
- scrum-half
- a rugby position; the player who passes the ball out from set pieces
- fly-half
- a rugby position; the player who often directs the team's attack
- head coach
- the main person in charge of training and choosing a sports team
- consecutive
- one after another, without a break
- combination
- two or more things or people working well together
- no mercy
- being very strong and not soft in a situation
Quiz
Answer key
1. Scrum-half and fly-half 2. A world-class combination 3. Tough with no mercy
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japan's national rugby team has announced its squad for an upcoming match against _____, scheduled for the 5th.
Head coach Eddie _____ selected the players who will represent Japan in the game.
Among the announced players are scrum-half Naoto Saito and fly-half Ryunosuke _____, two key positions in rugby.
Saito and Ito will start the match together, marking the sixth _____ game they have begun as a pair.
Coach Jones commented on the duo, saying he hopes they will grow into a _____-class combination.
He explained that he wants the two players to be able to sense each other through their eyes and _____ during play.
This kind of connection between a scrum-half and fly-half is often seen as crucial for a team's _____ play.
He said the team must be tough and show no _____ at the contact areas of the game.
The match is part of Japan's ongoing preparation and _____ schedule.
Fans will be watching closely to see whether the Saito-Ito _____ continues its strong run of form against Canada.