Preview: Japan vs. France - prediction, team news, lineups

Japan big France astatine the National Olympic Stadium connected Saturday greeting for the 3rd circular of fixtures successful this year's Nations Championship tournament.

In their latest outing, the Brave Blossoms fell to a 36-20 decision against Ireland, portion Les Bleus returned to winning ways by claiming a 42-26 triumph distant to Australia.

Match preview

Having endured a hard spell anterior to the tournament, losing 5 consecutive matches earlier narrowly beating Georgia, Japan volition beryllium contented with however their Nations Championship run has panned retired truthful far.

In their opening match, Eddie Jones’s men claimed an awesome 27-10 triumph implicit Italy successful Tokyo, earlier lone falling abbreviated precocious connected against Ireland past weekend, conceding 10 points successful the closing stages to instrumentality thing distant from the contest.

Despite the defeat, the Brave Blossoms’ presumption remains promising, presently sat 4th spot successful the tourney array supra Australia and Fiji, portion being lone a mates of points down Argentina, who look a hard trial against England this weekend.

Although they person ne'er earlier beaten France, lone managing a gully successful an planetary affable 9 years ago, Japan volition beryllium hopeful that they tin make a portion of past connected Saturday greeting and ascent adjacent further up the Southern Hemisphere array up of their European trips successful November.

Following their agonising nonaccomplishment against New Zealand successful Christchurch connected the opening weekend, France bounced backmost successful emphatic manner against Australia successful their latest Nations Championship bout.

Finding themselves 9 points down astatine the interruption aft a disappointing archetypal fractional showing, Les Bleus were overmuch improved successful the 2nd period, tallying 4 tries to station a 42-26 triumph and instrumentality the spoils distant from Brisbane.

Picking up a winning bonus constituent down nether too, the triumph catapulted Fabien Galthie’s men supra some Wales and Scotland to 2nd successful the Northern Hemisphere table, lone trailing Andy Farrell’s Ireland, who person triumphed successful some of their outings.

However, having ne'er earlier tasted decision against Japan, winning six of their 7 encounters with the Brave Blossoms, France volition beryllium assured that they tin assertion back-to-back victories this play and leap supra the Boys successful Green, who look a hard travel to New Zealand.

Japan Nations Championship form:

Japan signifier (all competitions): 

France Nations Championship form:

France signifier (all competitions): 

Team News

Japan person made a fistful of changes to the battalion that started against Ireland, with Harry Hockings, Ben Gunter, Jack Cornelsen and skipper Warner Dearns the lone forwards to support their place.

However, determination are conscionable the 2 differences to the hosts' backline arsenic Yuya Hirose and Taira Main are replaced by Samisoni Tua and Kippei Ishida.

Much similar their opposition, France person made important changes to their scrum arsenic Alexandre Roumat, Jefferson Poirot, Regis Montagne and Maxime Lamothe are each introduced.

In the backs, Galthie has opted to support things the aforesaid though, with Maxime Lucu captaining the broadside from scrum-half, Romaine Ntamack remaining astatine 10 and Matthieu Jalibert rounding the squad disconnected astatine full-back.

Japan starting lineup:

15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kazuma Ueda, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Samisoni Tua, 11 Kippei Ishida, 10 Ryunosuke Ito, 9 Naoto Saito; 1 Sojiro Otsuka, 2 Hayate Era, 3 Keijiro Tamefusa, 4 Harry Hockings, 5 Warner Dearns, 6 Esei Ha'angana, 7 Ben Gunter, 8 Jack Cornelsen

Replacements:

16 Kenji Sato, 17 Takato Okabe, 18 Izi Sword, 19 Michael Stolberg, 20 Michael Leitch, 21 Tiennan Costley, 22 Taira Main, 23 Shunsuke Uenobo

France starting lineup:

15 Matthieu Jalibert, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Maxime Lucu; 1 Jefferson Poirot, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 3 Regis Montagne, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 6 Lenni Nouchi, 7 Marko Gazzotti, 8 Alexandre Roumat

Replacements:

16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Tom Staniforth, 21 Killian Tixeront, 22 Paul Graou, 23 Kalvin Gourgues

We say: Japan 12-35 France

Despite decision past weekend, Japan person fixed a bully relationship of themselves passim the people of the tourney truthful acold and made Ireland uncomfortable for overmuch of Saturday's clash.

However, having returned to winning ways against the Wallabies, we deliberation France volition airs excessively overmuch of a situation for the Brave Blossoms this clip astir and caput apical of the Northern Hemisphere array with a bonus-point triumph successful Tokyo.