Millar named in Japan squad of 32

Craig Miller
Craig Miller
Former Highlanders and Otago prop Craig Millar has taken the next step to gaining an international cap.

Millar has been selected for the Japanese international squad to play games and tests next month.

Millar was initially named in a wider Japanese squad of 52 players but that was trimmed to 36 players by Japan coach Jamie Joseph earlier this week.

Also in the squad is former Hurricanes and Hawkes Bay lock Mark Abbott, who is also uncapped.

The Japan side has 23 players who have previously played for Japan and 19 players who turned out at the World Cup in Japan in 2019.

Millar has had a successful few days with his club side, Panasonic, which won the Top League with a narrow victory over Suntory on Sunday.

Millar qualified for Japan after moving there at the start of 2018.

He has benefited by a postponement of the five-year residency requirement which is set to come into force at the end of this year.

Japan was originally set down to play just one game — a warm-up game for the British and Irish Lions in Edinburgh on June 26.

But the squad will now take on a reformed Sunwolves team in Shizuoka on June 12 before the Lions game.

It will also play Ireland in Dublin on July 3. Japan famously beat Ireland at the World Cup in 2019.

A test has also been arranged against Scotland in November.

Highlanders No8 Kazuki Himeno has also been named in the team but he will not play in the warm-up game against the Sunwolves.

Should the Highlanders not make the final, the side’s last game is against the Brumbies in Canberra on June 11. Himeno will then fly straight to Edinburgh.

Should the Highlanders make the final, he will be cutting it fine to make it to Edinburgh and get up to speed.

Japan has not played a test since its impressive display at the 2019 World Cup.

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