Wynne Gray: Joseph to Japan has hurdles to clear

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is being lined up by Japan. Photo / Getty

Any move from Jamie Joseph to coach Japan will require significant concessions from that union and his Super rugby bosses at the Highlanders.

Japan host Scotland twice in June when the Super rugby series is on a break and the All Blacks prepare for their domestic three test campaign against Wales.

Joseph could argue that gives him a window to guide Japan in their June 18 and 25 internationals while his Highlanders assistants Tony Brown, Scott McLeod and Clarke Dermody prepare the squad for their return to action.

New Zealand Rugby might have concerns about that arrangement but Joseph's absence for a few weeks would not impact greatly on the Highlanders' match preparations.

They play the Hurricanes away on May 27 and their next match is supposed to be against the Kings on July 2, which would allow Joseph to balance two jobs this season.

However there is concern from the Japan Rugby Union about that arrangement and the wider ramifications including payment, about doing a deal with Joseph. On the plus side they are buoyed by Joseph's history with rugby in Japan.

The JRFU may want Joseph to have a greater hands-on contribution with the Japanese staff and coaching assistants in both the national side and the Sunwolves Super rugby group which is pitching a coaching proposal at Mark Hammett.

A faction of Japan's rugby powerbase continues to blame foreign coaches and players for some of the problems in the game. Even Eddie Jones was criticized for his offshore selections before that turned full circle with the Rugby World Cup victory against the Springboks and others.

Some point out that local star Ayumu Goromaru still gets more kudos from the local media and fans while captain and Chiefs looseforward Michael Leitch has a much lower post-tournament profile.

That is indicative of some of the pressure from within the union to have a decent Japanese component in the national side even if Joseph was the fourth non-Japanese national coach in the last decade.

When Jones left his post, he said his successor should be a foreign coach because no one in Japan was experienced enough to deal with international rugby in the all-important trip to host the RWC in 2019.

Japan tried to tap into the talents of Robbie Deans and Rob Penney who are familiar with the domestic and international rugby landscapes but those overtures were rebuffed.

One of the highly touted but outspoken locals is Katsuyuki Kiyomiya and the JRFU decided his and their best interests would be served if he worked with the Sunwolves and/or Japanese coach.