3 minute read

The Wallabies will play Japan in Oita on October 23 to kick-start their Spring Tour and could face a name familiar to Australian rugby fans.

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has floated regular Test matches against Japan and possible entry into the Rugby Championship after the two countries were locked in to play next month in Oita.

The October 23 Test will be the teams' first meeting since November 2017 and seventh in total, coming before the Wallabies play Scotland, England and Wales on November's Spring Tour.

Australia beat Japan 63-30 in Yokohama four years ago but should expect a more formidable Cherry Blossoms this time given the tremendous growth of the Top League since then.

The Japanese league has benefited from the arrival of a host of former and current international stars, including Hooper and current Test teammates Sean McMahon, Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper.

Hooper said the Test was a step forward between two nations that should be playing each other more often, with their entry alongside South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship worth consideration.

"Japan rugby's got a lot to offer ... it's got a lot of really good players up there," Hooper, who played alongside former New Zealand skipper Kieran Read for Toyota Verblitz last season, said.

"It may become a significant fixture for us each year and that's great.

"It'd be great to have Japan involved in some capacity ... there's so much water under the bridge to go but in terms of seeing a lot more of the blossoms, it'd be great."

While some of the game's biggest names have been lured across on big-money deals, the Top League has also proved a breeding ground for ex-pat talent like Jack Cornelsen who left Brisbane searching for an opportunity.

The son of former Wallaby star Greg Cornelsen, who in 1978 scored four tries in a win over New Zealand at Eden Park, left Australian rugby almost four years ago.

The flanker has flourished under Robbie Deans at the Wild Knights, debuting for Japan off the bench against the British and Irish Lions in June.

Fellow expats James Moore and Ben Gunter are also in the mix to face the Wallabies after making the extended squad for that one-off Test.

The Test will be Japan's first at home since hosting the World Cup.

"It is a hugely important moment for us to reconnect with our fans and the wider Japanese public, following the success of the 2019 World Cup," Japan coach Jamie Joseph said.

WALLABIES' SPRING TOUR

v Japan in Oita, October 23

v Scotland in Edinburgh, November 7

v England in London, November 13

v Wales in Cardiff, November 20