Japan Sakura 15s will play Spain’s national team, Las Leonas, in the second two Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025 Tests on 26th July at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (Tokyo), which will be their last home Test before departing for Europe and the UK for Rugby World Cup 2025.
Feature Photo Credit – JRFU
The home side will be hoping to follow up their win in the first Test last week, 32-19 at the Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu, in which the Japanese came from behind to score three tries in the final quarter, a hat-trick to prop Kotomi Taniguchi, with two conversions from Yamamoto Minoru to win. They had been trailing at the halftime break 10-13, and both Sakura’s tries in the opening half were scored by another prop, Hinata Komaki!
The Spanish scored tries via Monica Castelo, Amalia Algüd, Saia Perez, but the Japanese took advantage of the yellow card Spain received in the final quarter to turn around a 19-13 deficit.
For the Sakura 15, that makes it 4 wins in a row in 2025, and the win would be a big confidence boost for this coming weekend and the RWC 2025 match against the same opposition.
For the 2nd Test, Japan have made eight changes to the starting line-up from last weekend’s victory over Spain.
Sakura’s starting prop last week and scorer of two tries in the first half, Hinata Komaki, moved to the reserves, while the scorer of the hat-trick, Taniguchi, does not even make the matchday squad as the changes are rung. Manami Mine will start at loosehead. The captain of the last 3 matches, Sakurako Korai, also does not feature as Nagata Iroha returns as captain. The most experienced player, Seina Saito, starts in the run-on 15 to earn her 49th cap.
Starting Scrumhalf is Moe Tsukui starts and at flyhalf is Minori Yamamoto (both started last weekend among the reserves), and last week’s starting 9-10 are on the bench. There are also changes compared to the first Test at the outside centre (Mana Furuta earning her 35th cap) and left wing (Mele Yua Havili Kagawa earning her 5th cap).
The Spanish have made six changes to the starting XV. Laura Delgado will take over the captaincy from loose-head and will earn her 50th cap – the sixth ever Las Leonas to reach this milestone. In the second row, Lourdes Alameda starts again but will be joined by Elena Martínez, and the same starting loose forwards.
Anne Fernández de Corres starts at scrumhalf and partners with flyhalf and playmaker Amalia Argudo, starting again. Changes in the centres see Zahía Pérez start again, but with a new midfield partner, Claudia Peña. The back three are Claudia Cano and Tecla Masoko on the wings, with Lea Ducher at fullback.
Japan are in the same pool as Spain at the Rugby World Cup 2025, and the two sides will face each other in York on 7th September in their final Pool C match.
By our and Spain’s account, Japan lead the head-to-head 3-2, but according to World Rugby and the JRFU, it’s 2-2. Apparently, one of the fixtures played in Spain was considered a non-capped match, which Japan had won.
Photo Credit JRFU
Match Permutations – Japan Sakura 15s vs Spain – 26 July 2025
Japan are still currently ranked 11th in World Rugby’s global rankings, while Spain is 13th – the same as last week.
- Las Leonas need to win by more than 15 points to become the higher-ranked of the two nations, but Spain cannot climb any higher than 12th if they win.
- Japan cannot climb in the rankings if they win, but a loss could see them drop to 13th, depending on the margin.
Japan Sakura 15s Squad vs Spain – July 26 2025
More of the Japan Sakura 15s matchday squad can be seen here.
- Manami Mine *10 caps
- Asuka Koke *20 caps
- Kazuko Kitano *20 caps
- Yuna Sato *22 caps
- Otoka Yoshimura *27 caps
- Masami Kawamura *20 caps
- Iroha Nagata (captain) *38 caps
- Seina Saito *48 caps
- Moe Tsukui *40 caps
- Minoru Yamamoto *36 caps
- Kagawa Mele Yua Havili *4 caps
- Yu Hirotsu *15 caps
- Mana Furuta *34 caps
- Misaki Matsumura *11 caps
- Rinka Matsuda *13 caps
- Ayumu Kokaji *10 caps
- Hinata Komaki *20 caps
- Nijiho Nagata *28 caps
- Ayano Sakurai *21 caps
- Ndoka Jenifer *13 caps
- Megumi Abe *30 caps
- Otsuka Shusa *34 caps
- Sakurako Hatada *7 caps
Spain Squad vs Japan Sakura 15s Squad – July 26 2025
You can read more about the Spanish Las Leonas matchday squad here.
1. Laura DELGADO (C), 2. Marieta ROMAN, 3. Sidorella BRACIC, 4. Elena MARTINEZ, 5. Lourdes ALAMEDA, 6. Ana PERALTA, 7. Nerea GARCIA, 8. Alba CAPELL, 9. Anne FERNANDEZ DE CORRES, 10. Amalia ARGUDO, 11. Claudia CANO, 12. Zahia PEREZ, 13. Claudia PEÑA, 14. Tecla MASOKO, 15. Lea DUCHER.
Also playing: 16. Nuria JOU 17. Inés ANTOLÍNEZ 18. Mireia DE ANDRÉS 19. Anna PUIG , 20. Lía PIÑEIRO 21. Bingbing VERGARA 22. Alba VINUESA 23. Claudia PÉREZ
How To Watch Japan Sakura vs Spain Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025
Japan Sakura 15s News 2025
- Japan Sakura 15s vs Spain Preview – 19 July 2025.
- “We Want To Make It To The Knockouts at RWC 2025” – Sakura 15s Head Coach Lesley McKenzie.
- Details For Japan Sakura 15s Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025 Against Spain Confirmed.
- Sakura Fifteen Confirm Italy Fixture Ahead of RWC 2025.
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