Meehan Names Match 23 for Japan Clash on Saturday (Friday Evening in BC)
Canada will kick off their three September matches on Saturday in Japan, Friday evening if you’re on the west coast. It’s a Canada team missing some key players like Tyler Ardron, Evan Olmstead, Andrew Quattrin, Cali Martinez, Cole Keith, Piers Von Dadelszen, Peter Nelson. It’s going to be a tough battle against a Japan team just coming off two matches against Australia, one of them a blowout loss but one a close 3 point loss. That close loss was at home.
As we predicted in a previous article, some of the selections were a given, Miller and Steeves at props, Kelly in the second row, Rumball and Flesch in the loose forwards, Coats at flyhalf, Lesage in the centres, Tremblay on the wing and McMullin at fullback. Some of the selections surprised us Dewitt instead of Kotze at starting hooker, Doyle instead of Botchar in the second row, Parry instead of Fryer at openside flanker, Kilgour instead of Higgins at scrum half, James instead of Olson on the wing, and Olson instead of Jones in the centres. Two players are set to get their first cap Bryce Worden at prop and Jamie Armstrong in the backs.
Japan are going to play an expansive, high tempo game and we’ll see if Canada can keep up for the 80 minutes. Japan are resting a couple of their 1st string players Warner Dearns and Michael Leitch but there are 14 players returning from their last match against Australia, plus one from their first match. There are eight new players most in the reserves but two starting in the backline, #12 and #14.
The coverage on TSN hasn’t been announced yet but outside Canada rugbypass.tv has it schedule for 10:45 pm PT on Friday. Based on Japan’s latest form, their home game, and the missing Canada players, if Canada can keep it within 20 points it would be somewhat of a victory. The last two results were 57-15 (-42) and 55-28 (-27). What’s your prediction for Saturday?
Canada
1. Sam Miller (Mount Denson, NS) – Valley Rugby Union / Benfica SL (7 caps)
2. Foster DeWitt (Courtenay, BC) – Westshore RFC / Peñarol Rugby (7 caps)
3. Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Winnipeg Wombats / Hunter Wildfires (8 caps)
4. Daragh Doyle (Québec City, QC) – Clontarf FC (2 caps)
5. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / SL Benfica (16 caps)
6. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds (23 caps)
7. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC (19 caps)
8. Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach Rugby Club / Chicago Hounds (67 caps)
9. Jesse Kilgour (Oro-Medonte, ON) – Barrie RC / Aurora Barbarians (1 cap)
10. Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars RFC / UVIC Vikes (23 caps)
11. Liam James (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / UBCOB Ravens (2 caps)
12. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks (39 caps)
13. Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) – Castaway Wanderers (7 caps)
14. Kyle Tremblay (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC (7 caps)
15. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Bayside RFC (7 caps)
Reserves
16. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Rotherham Titans (15 caps)
17. Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) – Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC (8 caps)
18. *Bryce Worden (Sussex, NB) – Burnaby Lake RFC / West Harbour Rugby Club (0 caps)
19. Barnaby Waddell (Exeter, ENG) – Okehampton RFC / Camborne RFC (2 caps)
20. Cody Nhanala (Ottawa, Ontario) – University of British Columbia (2 caps)
21. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution (30 caps)
22. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys (17 caps)
23. *Jamie Armstrong (Ottawa, ON) – Ottawa Irish (0 caps)
Japan
1 Takato OKABE
2 Mamoru HARADA
3 Shuhei TAKEUCHI
4 Jack CORNELSEN
5 Harry HOCKINGS
6 Ben GUNTER
7 Kanji SHIMOKAWA
8 Faulua MAKISI
9 Naoto SAITO (C)
10 Ryunosuke ITO
11 Haruto KIDA
12 Yuya HIROSE
13 Dylan RILEY
14 Inoke BURUA
15 Takuro MATSUNAGA
Reserves
16 Kenji SATO
17 Sojiro OTSUKA
18 Takumi INABA
19 Michael STOLBERG
20 Esei Ha’angana
21 Tiennan COSTLEY
22 Kenta FUKUDA
23 Sam GREENE
Japan just came off two matches against Australia, first a close 35-32 loss at home, and then a blowout loss 56-17 in Australia. Comparing the Japan squad against Canada to the one that lost to Australia in Australia, there are 14 players returning, and 9 new players although some played in the first Australia match like Kanji SHIMOKAWA at openside flanker. They are resting a couple of their big names Warner Dearns and Michael Leitch.
Players Retained from the Australia Game for the Canada Lineup (14 Players)
Takato OKABE (Started at #1)
Shuhei TAKEUCHI (Started at #3)
Ben GUNTER (Started at #6)
Naoto SAITO (Started at #9, captain against Canada)
Ryunosuke ITO (Started at #10)
Haruto KIDA (Started at #11)
Dylan RILEY (Started at #13)
Takuro MATSUNAGA (Started at #15)
Harry HOCKINGS (#4 vs Australia – Moved to #5)
Faulua MAKISI (#8 vs Australia – #8 vs Canada)
Jack CORNELSEN (Bench #19 vs Australia – Promoted to Start #4)
Mamoru HARADA (Bench #16 vs Australia – Promoted to Start #2)
Tiennan COSTLEY (Started #7 vs Australia – Moved to Bench #21)
Sojiro OTSUKA (Bench #17 both games)
New Additions to the Squad for the Canada Game (9 Players)
Kanji SHIMOKAWA (Inserted into the Starting lineup at #7, was in Game 1 vs Australia)
Yuya HIROSE (Inserted into the Starting lineup at #12)
Inoke BURUA (Inserted into the Starting lineup at #14)
Kenji SATO (Added to Bench #16)
Takumi INABA (Added to Bench #18)
Michael STOLBERG (Added to Bench #19)
Esei Ha’angana (Added to Bench #20)
Kenta FUKUDA (Added to Bench #22)
Sam GREENE (Added to Bench #23)
from Rugby Canada
Canada Men’s Rugby Team Head Coach Stephen Meehan has named his match day roster for Canada’s upcoming test against Japan, as the two nations meet in Niigata City as part of celebrations marking the Japan Rugby Football Union’s (JRFU) 100th anniversary.
Canada and Japan will kick off on Saturday September 5 at 2:50 p.m. JST / 10:50 p.m. PT (Sept. 4) / 1:50 a.m. ET in Niigata City at Denka Big Swan Stadium.
Lucas Rumball returns to the captaincy and will lead Canada for the 37th time, earning his 68th cap for the Men’s Rugby Team.
Veteran back Ben LeSage returns to the squad, making his first appearance for Canada since the team’s Pacific Nations Cup match against Japan on August 30, 2025, when Canada fell to the Brave Blossoms 57-15 and is set to earn his 40th cap. Isaac Olson will also make his return last appearing for Canada against the United States in August 2025.
Jesse Kilgour earns his first start after battling back from multiple injuries following his international debut in November 2024 against Romania. Daragh Doyle, Foster DeWitt, Kyle Steeves, and Liam James will also make their first starts for Canada.
Bryce Worden and Jamie Armstrong could come off the bench and make their international debuts on Saturday.
Worden, from Sussex, New Brunswick, represents Burnaby Lake RFC and West Harbour RC. Armstrong, from Ottawa, Ontario, attended the University of Ottawa and represents the Ottawa Irish, having made his Canada Sevens debut in 2025.
Canada and Japan first met in test rugby in 1932. The two nations have since faced one another 27 times, with Canada earning seven victories. The sides have also famously played to two draws, both at the Rugby World Cup, in 2007 and 2011.
Tickets for Canada’s Match vs Japan are available here.
Further information on TSN broadcasting will be made available shortly.