21-year-old Ito starts again at fly-half as Japan target Ireland upset in Nations Championship

Ryunosuke Ito has been named at fly-half again as Japan prepare to face Ireland in the Nations Championship, with head coach selection backing the 21-year-old to build on a breakout performance that helped sink Italy last week.

Ito has just two games of professional rugby to his credit, having first announced himself during an exhibition match against the Maori All Blacks a fortnight ago. His composure and creativity in both outings have marked him out as one of the most exciting Japanese prospects in years, and the coaching staff have shown no hesitation in handing him another high-profile assignment.

The young playmaker will again be supported by Takuro Matsunaga — the Nations Championship’s leading points-scorer — at fullback, and Naoto Saito, who contributed two try assists against Italy, at halfback. Yuya Hirose and Dylan Riley form the midfield partnership, with Taira Main and Kazuma Ueda on the wings.

In the pack, captain Warner Dearns partners Harry Hockings in the second row, while Takato Okabe, Mamoru Harada and Shuhei Takeuchi start in the front row. Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa and the versatile Jack Cornelsen complete the back row.

The bench draws on the considerable experience of 37-year-old Michael Leitch, who leads a replacement unit also including Hayate Era, Sojiro Otsuka, Keijiro Tamefusa, Michael Stolberg, Tiennan Costley, Itsuki Kamimura and Sam Greene.

Japan enter the fixture as an honorary southern-hemisphere side in the Nations Championship’s north-versus-south format, and a win over Ireland would represent a significant statement in that context. The Brave Blossoms hold just one victory from their last five meetings with Ireland, making another upset a considerable but not inconceivable ask for Ito and his teammates.