Overview
- Japan finished their European tour with heavy defeats to South Africa and Ireland, a narrow loss to Wales, and a last-gasp win over Georgia.
- Jones said players must add muscle and train appreciably harder to meet the physical demands of Test rugby.
- He signaled selection will favor athletes who develop the required body and show clear hunger to win at international level.
- With Japan Rugby League One starting next month, Jones framed domestic performances as the pathway into the national squad.
- The coach cited Japan’s 2015 World Cup upset of South Africa to argue there is no reason the team cannot reach the last four in 2027.