Millar named in 52strong Japan squad
RUGBY
FORMER Otago and Highlanders prop Craig Millar has taken his first step to wearing a Japanese jersey.
Millar (30) has been named in a 52 strong Japanese squad to start training for a game against the British and Irish Lions in Edinburgh in June.
The loosehead prop first moved at the end of 2017 and has enjoyed his time in the land of the rising sun.
Millar told the Otago Daily
Times last year he had adjusted well to his time in Japan.
He enjoyed the lifestyle and had become used to Japanese customs. The rugby was improving all the time and he had signed on for another couple of seasons with the side he plays for, the Panasonic Wild Knights.
Millar first played for the Highlanders in 2014, a shoulder injury put him out in 2015, when the Highlanders won the title, and he played another couple of seasons after that.
All up he played 10 games for the Highlanders and 45 games for Otago.
He also captained Otago on the odd occasion.
Miller had said last year he had given no thought to playing for the Japanese side.
But he now qualified for it through residency and has been named in the squad by Japan coach Jamie Joseph.
It will be the first squad Joseph has named since Japan performed so well at the 2019 World Cup in its own country. Joseph is scheduled to return to Japan from New Zealand next month.
Joseph will not be short of former Highlanders colleagues.
He will be assisted by current Highlanders coach Tony Brown, who was also part of the coaching team which was so successful in 2019.
The Highlanders are set to line up in the Super Rugby transtasman competition, with their last regular season game on June 11.
The Japanese side will go into camp in late May and then play a trial game on June 12 in Japan against a yet to be named opponent.
The trainer for the Japanese side is former Highlanders trainer Andrew Beardmore, who left the Highlanders at the end of the 2019 season after nine seasons with the team.
Andy Watts, who is also the Highlanders analyst, is the analyst for the Japanese team.
Other New Zealanders who are new to the Japanese squad are lock Mark Abbot, who used to play for Hawke’s Bay, and former Auckland lock Liaki Moli. Young Australians Ben Gunher and Jack Cornelsen, son of former Wallaby Greg Cornelsen, have also made the squad.
Highlanders loose forward Kazuki Himeno has been picked in the squad. The squad numbers 29 forwards and 23 backs.
The Japanese squad will be trimmed to 35 and is set to take on the Lions in Edinburgh on June 26. The Lions side is set to play three tests in South Africa.
LONDON: Gregor Townsend, Robin McBryde, Steve Tandy and Neil Jenkins were named as assistants to British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland for this year's tour of South Africa yesterday.
Scotland head coach Townsend, who played first fiveeighth for the Lions in their triumphant 1997 South Africa series, will look after the Lions attack.
Jenkins, the goalkicking hero of that 1997 series, will be on his fourth tour as kicking coach. Former Wales assistant coach McBryde will oversee the forwards, with Scotland's defence coach, Tandy, something of a surprise for that role under Gatland.
‘‘A Lions tour is a unique challenge, so it’s important to have some continuity in the coaching group,’’ Gatland said in a statement ahead of his third stint as head coach.
‘‘Neil understands the exceptional demands that only a Lions tour can present, and we will benefit from his knowledge and experience.
‘‘But it's also important to have new voices and a fresh perspective. Gregor is doing an excellent job in charge of Scotland and is an outstanding coach. He also understands the challenges of touring South Africa as a player and what it takes to win there.
‘‘Steve has made Scotland's defence one of the most organised in world rugby — something we saw throughout the recent Six Nations.’’
Gatland said he knew McBryde well from their time in Wales.
‘‘He is an impressive and experienced coach who continues to have success with Leinster. I think he'll be well suited to the Lions environment and I am sure he will do an excellent job with the forwards.’’
Ireland coach Andy Farrell, Leicester coach Steve Borthwick and Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree, all experienced Lions coaches, last week made themselves unavailable for the tour for various reasons.
The tour is scheduled for July and August, ending with three tests against the world champion, which has not played a game since beating England in the 2019 World Cup final.
The Lions will have a warmup against Japan at Murrayfield on June 26 before embarking on the eightmatch tour, although venues and match details have yet to be confirmed due to the Covid19 situation in South Africa.