Masataro Onishi and Kenjiro Toyohara passionately talk about their expectations for the four consecutive matches against the Japanese national rugby team in November: “Autumn will be the season when the whole of Japan can cheer for their team!”

Shotaro Onishi & Kenjiro Toyohara “Let’s all support the team in Japan! “In the autumn when the season becomes even more exciting,” he passionately spoke about his expectations for the four consecutive matches against the Japan national rugby team in November. ​
WOWOW Co., Ltd. Press release: October 23, 2025 To Members of the Press Masataro Onishi & Kenjiro Toyohara “Let’s all support the team from all over Japan! “In the autumn when the season becomes even more exciting,” he passionately spoke about his expectations for the four consecutive matches against the Japan national rugby team in November. Sunday, November 2nd: 12:45 AM “Vs. South Africa,” Saturday, November 8th: 9:00 PM “Vs. Ireland,” Sunday, November 16th: 2:15 AM “Vs. Wales,” Saturday, November 22nd: 8:45 PM “Vs. Georgia” (The Georgia match will only be streamed live)
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The fateful moment is fast approaching. The Japanese national rugby team, which continues to evolve daily under the slogan “ultra-fast rugby,” will face four consecutive matches against South Africa, Ireland, Wales, and Georgia in November. WOWOW will broadcast and stream these four Japan national team matches as well as the “Quilter Nations Series,” in which powerhouses from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet for five consecutive weeks. We’ll be bringing you 22 matches. South Africa is the opponent against whom Japan achieved a historic victory 10 years ago at the 2015 World Cup in England, so the rematch in England is attracting attention not only from Japan but from around the world. The Quilter Nations Series matches against Ireland and Wales, as well as the test match against Georgia, are equally big games that will test the strength of the Japanese national team. This time, we spoke with former Japan national team player Masataro Onishi, who will be commentating on the South Africa vs. Japan match, and former NHK announcer Kenjiro Toyohara, who will be commentating on the match, about their expectations for the Japanese national team and the Quilter Nations Series. As the interview took place immediately after the recording of a program featuring FL/LO (flanker/lock) Michael Leitch, it was a passionate interview that also included feelings for Leitch. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ ──In November, the Japanese national team will play against strong opponents for four consecutive weeks. Shotaro Onishi (hereinafter, Onishi): This isn’t just limited to the Japanese national team, but whether or not we win can have a big impact on the excitement in the country, so results are important. There are less than two years until the 2027 World Cup. I hope that the Japanese national team will continue to win from here on out, creating an atmosphere throughout Japan of “Let’s cheer them on! Let’s get excited!” and that this autumn series will be like that. Kenjiro Toyohara (hereinafter, Toyohara): I sensed from Leitch’s words his determination to not just finish off a ‘good game’ against Australia in October, and South Africa, Ireland, Wales, and Georgia in November, and he has raised Japanese rugby to that level. That’s why, just like the 2015 World Cup, which changed the mindset of the Japanese sports world, I hope this fall’s series will be a test match that will raise the mindset of Japanese rugby to the next level.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-8546b7fee9435905cc7dab30cfc08901-3900×2430.jpg Rugby World Cup 2015 “South Africa vs. Japan” / Getty Images ──Which card are you two particularly interested in? Toyohara: Of course, I’m watching all the matches, but considering that I’ll be providing commentary and that the match took place at the World Cup 10 years ago, I’m particularly interested in the match against South Africa on Sunday, November 2nd. Both South Africa and Japan have changed significantly over the past 10 years. South Africa’s attitude toward Japan is likely to have changed since then, so I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of match Japan will put on. I also think it will be a good opportunity for us to reflect on how we’ve grown over the past 10 years. Onishi: I’ll also be commentating on the match against South Africa, and I’m looking forward to guest commentary by Fumiaki Tanaka, who was Man of the Match in that match 10 years ago. We were all involved in that South Africa match from different positions at the time, so it’s great to be able to talk about Leitch, who is still playing for the Japanese national team 10 years later. Another match I’m looking forward to is the one against Wales. They played twice in Japan in July, with one win and one loss. This will be the third match in which the Japanese national team will travel to their home turf to decide the outcome, so everyone will be very interested to see if they can beat Wales at home.
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–Among those matches, please tell us who you think we should be wary of and who you think we should not overlook. Onishi: Regarding Wales, I’m keeping an eye on flanker Jack Morgan, who was selected for the British & Irish Lions and therefore did not play in the July match against Japan. He is also the captain, and his presence alone can change the whole team, like Leitch for the Japanese national team. He will be joining the Wales national team again in the autumn, so if they face off wearing the same number 7, it will be even more interesting.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-d9209584e2e72a06b4902f354237298a-3900×2600.jpg Jack Morgan/Getty Images Toyohara: South Africa’s focus is on fly-half (stand-off) Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who made a stunning performance in the Rugby Championship’s Round 5 match against Argentina. I’m not worthy of saying this, but in a pre-season interview, I said, “South Africa’s halfbacks have always had the same players, with fly-half Handre Pollard in particular having been playing for a long time. With the 2027 World Cup in mind, we need other players to emerge,” and now he’s come up with that statement. They showed such a shocking performance that it seemed as if they could dominate the world of rugby, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the Japanese national team will fare.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-e2557a745f1fda2c1429dc36c70ceb8f-3900×2498.jpg Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu/Getty Images –Please also tell us about the Japanese national team players to watch, who will be competing against them. Toyohara: Hooker Era Hayato and wing Ishida Yoshihira. With their size (not particularly large) and speed, I think they’re a unique type of player in the world. There are many good players in the hooker position, but Era in particular is strong in the scrum, good at lineouts, and calm despite his young age. I see potential in him, and I hope he will demonstrate his talent as a unique player on a global level. The same can be said for Ishida, who we hope will perform as well as Yoshito Yoshida (former Japan national team wing), who amazed the world with his speed despite his small stature, but I also hope he will become someone who inspires dreams for smaller Japanese rugby players.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-19c9aa7c26b25505736b88bd34a6aa9e-3900×2600.jpg Kippei Ishida/Getty Images Onishi: My favorite player is fly-half Lee Seung-shin, who has proven very consistent. The fact that he can now secure the number 10 (fly-half) position is proof that the team is improving and moving in the same direction. His highly successful place kicks are also a valuable asset. In test matches, two points (conversion goals after tries) and three points (mainly penalty goals) are crucial, so his accurate kicks will surely help the team. I hope he continues to gain confidence in all areas, including game-making, and leads the Japanese national team as a playmaker. The forward is 208cm tall lock Harry Hockings, who has been achieving results in League One. Another player in the squad is taller than fellow lock Warner Deans (201cm). I played with his older brother Tom during my time with Kintetsu (now the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners), so I’ve known Harry for quite some time and have always been a fan of his. I’d love to see the two of them form a twin tower.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-f16dbf1df45e9f23f71db4812c597a86-3884×2590.jpg Lee Seung-shin/Getty Images ──Not only are the Japan national team matches held, but the Quilter Nations Series itself is a series of serious matches between the world’s top teams. Onishi: As the World Cup approaches, we’ll begin to see which teams are in the best shape this time around. The 2027 World Cup pool draw will be held on December 3rd (the draw to assign the 24 participating teams to six pools. The draw is based on the world rankings, and teams ranked 12th or higher as of December 1st are likely to be placed in favorable pools). The standing and tension will be different for teams that are sure to be ranked within the top 12 in the world by that time, and for teams that aren’t. The Japanese national team is right on the brink of failure (ranked 13th as of October 13th), and all teams will be fighting to move up the rankings, so it’s really exciting. Toyohara: During the 2019 Rugby World Cup, I remember feeling incredibly blessed to be able to watch so much world-class rugby every day. And now, even though I’m here to tell you this, I’m truly blessed to be able to watch these test matches five weeks in a row, even against strong opponents. Thanks to the hard work of everyone on Japan, we’re able to enjoy this kind of everyday life, and I think it’s amazing. I hope you all enjoy these five weeks, and I hope you enjoy them too. Onishi: The happy month of sleep deprivation is about to begin (laughs). Toyohara: Let’s do our best to overcome jet lag while we’re in Japan (laughs).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8489/1355-8489-da250943f1d2922763c511c6be66b2b6-3000×1800.jpg (C)JRFU, Photo: Afro –Finally, please tell us once again your expectations for the Japanese national team and your vision for the future. Toyohara: I want to see the true nature of “super-speed rugby.” I think we’re still at a milestone (until we reach
completion), but I feel like we’re starting to get a glimpse of it. Moreover, with players like Leitch joining us this fall, we’ll have a full roster. I really want to see “super-speed rugby” at the halfway point leading up to the 2027 World Cup (the halfway point between World Cups). If the players gain the confidence and foundation to know, “This is how we’re going to play,” I think it will be a great benefit for the next two years. I hope to see that in November. Onishi: During overseas tours like this one, players spend a lot of time together, and from my experience, this produces positive results. Even during the Pacific Nations Cup (August-September), I felt that the Japan national team’s team strength and cohesion improved during their nearly month-long tour of the United States. This time, we’ll be spending a long period together in Europe, so I think strengthening our team’s cohesion by discussing things other than rugby will help create an atmosphere of confidence that we can make it to the next World Cup, which will motivate our fans to support us. This is a very important period for the Japanese national team, so I hope you’ll be cheering them on in front of your TV. …
style=”font-size:16px;line-height:28px;padding:0;word-break:break-all;”> In addition to commentating and announcing the not-to-be-missed “South Africa vs. Japan” match, Shotaro Onishi will also provide commentary for the Quilter Nations Series’ Week 3 “Italy vs. South Africa” ​​and Week 4 “Ireland vs. South Africa,” while Kenjiro Toyohara will also be commentating for Week 3 “Wales vs. Japan.” WOWOW will bring you the allure of rugby with a complete lineup. In November, we hope you’ll tune in to WOWOW for four consecutive matches that will reveal the current position and future of the Japanese national team, as well as the Quilter Nations series, where the world’s best teams will compete. 【WOWOW Rugby November Broadcast and Streaming Schedule】 “Japan National Team Matches Four Weeks in a Row! WOWOW Rugby Special” Sunday, November 2nd, 12:45 AM – “South Africa vs. Japan” [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] Saturday, November 8th, 9:00 PM – “Ireland vs. Japan” [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] Sunday, November 16th, 2:15 AM – “Wales vs. Japan” [WOWOW Prime] [WOWOW On Demand] Saturday, November 22nd, 8:45 PM – “Georgia vs. Japan” [WOWOW On Demand] *Live streaming only “Rugby Test Match 2025 Quilter Nations Series” 20 matches will be streamed live from November 1st (Sat) to November 29th (Sat), with 10 featured matches broadcast. *Archived streaming available EDDY TIMES 2025 Special Edition “Michael Leitch: The Life of a Man Carrying the Cherry Blossoms, and into the Future” A special talk show that explores both the personality and rugby player of Japanese rugby, Michael Leitch. Starring: Michael Leitch (Japan National Rugby Team, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo), Masataro Onishi (former Japan National Rugby Team, WOWOW rugby commentator), Kenjiro Toyohara (former NHK announcer, sportscaster) WOWOW On Demand Rugby
(https://wod.wowow.co.jp/genre/rugby) WOWOW official YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/WOWOWofficial) Scheduled to be released on Saturday, October 25th. “Japan Rugby Team Special Pre-Live Broadcast of Their Fateful Match Against South Africa” Saturday, November 1st [WOWOW Live] 4:45 PM – “Rugby Test Match 2024 Autumn Nations Series France vs Japan” 7:00 PM – “Rugby Test Match 2024 Autumn Nations Series England vs Japan” 9:20 PM – “Right before the live broadcast of the South Africa match! Relive the excitement of 10 years ago: Rugby World Cup™ 2015 South Africa vs. Japan” 11:20 PM – “The Brighton Miracle” ※ “Rugby World Cup™ 2015 South Africa vs. Japan” and The film “Brighton Miracle” will be available for streaming from Wednesday, October 1st. 【WOWOW On Demand Rugby】
(https://wod.wowow.co.jp/genre/rugby) 【WOWOW Rugby Official Website】 (https://www.wowow.co.jp/sports/rugby/) 【WOWOW Rugby Official