Japan vs South Africa: Hosts make one change for Rugby World Cup quarter-final

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Image: Ryohei Yamanaka in action for Japan

Japan have made one injury-enforced change to their starting line-up for Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against South Africa, bringing Ryohei Yamanaka in at full-back in place of William Tupou.

Tupou suffered a concussion in Japan's win over Scotland at Yokohama last weekend and drops out of the matchday 23 altogether, with livewire winger Lomano Lava Lemeki named among the replacements as cover for the back three.

Image: Amanaki Lelei Mafi returns to the bench for Japan

Coach Jamie Joseph also made two changes to the forwards on the bench, with Wimpie van der Walt and Amanaki Lelei Mafi replacing fellow big men Uwe Helu and Hendrik Tui for what is likely to be a physical battle against the Springboks at Tokyo Stadium.

Loosehead prop Jiwon Koo was forced off the pitch against the Scots by a rib injury but has recovered sufficiently to take his place in the front row.

Image: Michael Leitch will once again skipper the side

Japan: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Kotaro Matsushima, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Ryoto Nakamura, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 1 Keita Inagaki, 2 Shota Horie, 3 Jiwon Koo, 4 Luke Thompson, 5 James Moore, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 8 Kazuki Himeno

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Replacements: 16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Isileli Nakajima, 18 Asaeli Ai Valu, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Amanaki Lelei Mafi, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Lomano Lava Lemeki

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