Rugby: Sunwolves must show bite before Cup

Kiwi Tony Brown is the new head coach of the Sunwolves. Photo / Photosport

With the Rugby World Cup looming, there's a renewed sense of urgency for the Sunwolves as the Japan-based club prepares for their fourth season in Super Rugby.

The Sunwolves struggled for wins in their first two seasons in the competition but showed signs of a breakthrough last year when they won three matches. The team's more pressing task this season is helping Japan's players prepare to compete in a World Cup that Japan will host, the first time rugby's global showpiece will be held outside the traditional strongholds.

The Sunwolves kick off their 2019 Super Rugby campaign in Singapore against the Durban, South Africa-based Sharks.

New head coach Tony Brown and Jamie Joseph, head coach of the national team, will synchronise their efforts to ensure the best Japanese players are in peak condition by September when the World Cup kicks off.

"It is 100 per cent crucial the Sunwolves are aligned with Japan in the way we play the game and the players we use, as everything is geared toward the World Cup," Brown told Japan's domestic media when he announced his initial 29-man squad.

Joseph coached the Sunwolves last season and says the Super Rugby franchise will play a vital role in helping Japan prepare for the World Cup.

"In a World Cup year my core responsibility is to prepare the national team, especially as Japan is hosting the tournament," Joseph said. "Tony being at the helm as head coach will allow us to continue the hard work we invested last season, as well as prepare any players also in the national team for the World Cup."

Among the established Japanese players returning for the Sunwolves side are captain Michael Leitch, Keita Inagaki, Shota Horie, Fumiaki Tanaka and Kazuki Himeno, all of whom are expected to represent Japan in the World Cup.

Foreign-born returning players include Pieter Labuschagne and Grant Hattingh, the uncapped South African-born backrowers who have been included in Joseph's preliminary World Cup squad, and Australian lock James Moore.

Finding the right balance for players on Japan's national team will be crucial, with more players than usual eventually available to the Sunwolves.

Brown is also an assistant coach for the national team and says the players in the selection frame for the World Cup will need to prove themselves in Super Rugby.

The Sunwolves will play six home games in Tokyo and two in Singapore. They also play four games in Australia, two in New Zealand and one each in South Africa and Argentina.

- AP