Japan tour Ireland & Wales

Asian Champions Japan arrived in Ireland on Monday at the start of a two-week three-match tour to Ireland and Wales, with the first match on Saturday.

A 28-player squad has been selected by coach Hidetoshi Shimizu, who has said that the most important aspect of the tour is to sample the World Cup venues rather than win games.

So, after a day in Belfast, touring the venues to be used for the play-off games, the squad moved to Dublin on Wednesday for the start of a joing training camp with Ireland at University College, Dublin leading up to the first (uncapped) international against an Ireland XV on Saturday (5pm kick-off, UC Dublin -not open to the public).

The team will then play a second uncapped international on Wednesday, also at UCD (2pm start -but also not open to the public) before travelling to Wales for a full test match on Sunday 11thJune at the Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach (2.30 kick-off).

The team then returns to Japan to prepare for the Asian Championship. With Kazakhstan’s suspension only recently lifted this will again be limited to a two-match series against Hong Kong, with the first leg at Shiroyama on 8thJuly, and the return at King’s Park, Hong Kong on 15th.

Squad:Makoto Ebuchi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ./Tokyo Phoenix Rc); Yuki Oyokawa (Nippon Sport Science Univ.); Mizuho Kataoka (Yokohama Tkm); Sachiko Kato (Nagoya Ladies / Chubu Univ. Haruhigaoka Hs); Chihiro Kobayashi (Rku Rugby Ryugasaki Grace); Seina Saito (Pearls); Ayano Sakurai (Nippon Sport Science Univ.); Yui Shiozaki (Tokyo Phoenix Rc); Ayaka Suzuki (Arukas Queen Kumagaya); Sayaka Suzuki (Rku Rugby Ryugasaki Grace); Misaki Suzuki (Tokyo Phoenix Rc); Aya Nakajima (Arukas Queen Kumagaya); Maiko Fujimoto (Yokohama Tkm); Bogi Dula Horse Inada (Arukas Queen Kumagaya); Saki Minami (Nippon Sport Science Univ.); Aoi Mimura (Yokohama Tkm); Mizuho Ito (Yokohama Tkm); Chikami Inoue (Rku Rugby Ryugasaki Grace); Akari Kato (Ka · Ra · Da Factory Rugirl – 7); Keiko Kato (Setagaya Ladies); Mayu Shimizu (Nippon Sport Science Univ); Noriko Taniguchi (Arukas Queen Kumagaya); Moe Tsukui (The Second Hs, Tokyo University Of Agriculture); Honoka Tsutsumi (Nippon Sport Science Univ); Makiko Tomita (Setagaya Ladies); Iroha Nagata (Rissho Univ./); Yumeno Noda (Rissho Univ./); Minori Yamamoto (Nippon Sport Science Univ.)

Looking forward to the camp and Japanese games in Ireland, Head Coach Tom Tierney said: "Plans are progressing well ahead of the tournament in August. Having taken some time to recover after the Six Nations, the players have gone through a tough physical conditioning programme over the last number of weeks, while we have also been working on our plans on the field through regular skills sessions. This camp in UCD gives everyone the opportunity to become familiar with the facilities on campus. We had a good taster back in November, but this gives us the chance to really understand what it will be like in August."Japan are currently in Europe as part of their own preparation, so to have the chance to play two trial games against them over the coming days gives us the chance to replicate a World Cup environment, where we'll be playing a game, recovering and then getting prepared to go out and perform again - all in the space of four days."

The Irish squad for the camp is:

Elaine Anthony (Highfield/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster); Anna Caplice (UL Bohemian/Munster); Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster); Laura Feely (Galwegians/Connacht); Jennie Finlay (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary's College/Leinster); Orla Fitzsimons (St. Mary's College/Leinster); Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht); Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemian/Munster); Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster); Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht); Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster); Heather O'Brien (Highfield/Munster); Ciara O'Connor (Galwegians/Connacht); Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster); Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Ilse van Staden (Cooke/Ulster)

Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemian/Munster); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Leinster); Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster); Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht); Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian/Munster); Louise Galvin (UL Bohemian/Munster); Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht); Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union/Leinster); Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemian/Munster); Claire McLaughlin (Cooke/Ulster); Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht); Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union); Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls); Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Aylesford Bulls); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Megan Williams (St. Mary's College)