WXV Global Series 2026 Preview – Italy vs Japan

rugbyasia247 Posted On September 17, 2026

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WXV Global Series 2026 Preview - Italy vs Japan

Japan Sakura XV face Italy at Stadio Omero Tognon, Fontanafredda, Pordenone, on Saturday, 19 September 2026, in the WXV Global Series 2026.

Photo Credit – JRFU – Sakura team training for the match in Italy

For the Japanese, the loss to Fiji at home before they travelled to Europe would have been a blow to their confidence. They have historically struggled against Italy, so the odds are stacked against them at a 5,000-seater venue hosting a Test match for the first time.

The Italians are ranked higher in 6th, and Japan have dropped out of the top ten into 11th. The head-to-head is strongly in the Europeans’ favour with 6 wins to 1 and 1 draw; however, they have never played on Japanese soil.

They last met as the Sakura prepped for RWC 2025 and were beaten 33-15 in Calvisano. That match was also marked by Seina Saito becoming the first Sakura Fifteen player to earn her 50th test cap, but she is not in the touring group.

Photo Credit – JRFU – Japan Sakura XV Head Coach Toshizumi Kitagawa

Former Sakura XV Head Coach Lesley McKenzie talked about the importance and growth the teams showed on tours, and Italy was a regular destination as she talked of how the players got used to meals like pasta.

It’s a new era for both teams with new Head Coaches, and Toshizumi Kitagawa will face the Azzurre for the first time with a team that has fewer caps than had visited these shores recently and failed to notch up a win.

Italy’s Six Nations saw them beat Scotland and Wales, but they lost to England, France, and Ireland. Two positives for them were their ability to win turnovers and jackals, stats they led in the competition. The negatives were their scrum and discipline, as they picked up the most yellow cards. Japan have yet to pick up a card in their 3 Tests this year.

There are 7 potential new capped players in the Azzurre squad under new head coach in Plinio Sciamanna, who had been the Assistant Coach for 5 years.

20-year-old number 9 Alia Bitonci already has 15 caps, and said of the prospect of facing Japan, “Matches against Japan are always characterised by a very open game, because they don’t rely much on physicality but are very quick, so we’ll have to respond to their pace.

Japan, in particular, has a great ability to win the ball at the contact points. It will be an opportunity for us to work on one-on-one play, especially on technique and speed.

It will be our first match after the Six Nations, so we’ll definitely have to get into gear at the start because it’s been a while since we’ve all played together and there have also been some important withdrawals, but we know we can perform well against them and put in a good performance.”

Photo Credit – JRFU – Japan vs Italy 2025

There are 16 players who competed at RWC 2025 in the touring squad, captained by scrumhalf Moe Tsukui, who could run out for her 49th cap this weekend.

Hinata Komaki starts at prop instead of Nami Yoshida in the Fiji game, with the rest of the tight five the same. At number 8, Jennifer Nduka starts instead of Mele Yua Havili Kagawa.

Sawa Harada gets the nod at flyhalf with Kanna Hayashi on the bench (the two have swapped placed the past few Tests). There are several changes in the backs with Komachi IMAKUGI, Sora Nishimura, and Maiko Nishi all starting.

Japan has one uncapped player in the squad, 23-year-old centre Uta Kataoka, who starts on the bench.

All of the WXV Global Series fixtures can be seen here.

Match Permutations

Italy could beat Japan and still drop in the WR rankings, depending on the results of Scotland, Australia and USA in their WXV Global Series fixtures this weekend.
The hosts cannot improve on sixth place but could end the weekend as low as 10th with a heavy defeat, depending on other results.
Japan must win by more than 15 points and hope South Africa do the same in Wales if they are to return to the top 10.
A heavy loss for Japan could see them drop a place to 12th if the margin is matched by Wales beating SA.