Leitch to miss Georgia test

Japan captain Michael Leitch will miss the Brave Blossoms' final game of the year against Georgia on Sunday after damaging his shoulder in last week's win over Romania.

Head coach Eddie Jones named his side Friday for the game in Tbilisi and said while Leitch could have played if it was a Rugby World Cup game, it made sense to rest him at this stage of the season. Hayden Hopgood comes in at openside flanker and prop Kensuke Hatakeyama leads the team in Leitch's absence.

Japan are looking to make it 12 test-match wins on the trot and finish off the calendar year unbeaten and they will do so with a team that show four changes and two positional switches from the side that started last week's 18-13 win.

"The obvious change from last week is Leitch is out injured," Jones said from Tbilisi. "The other change (in the pack) sees Luke Thompson back in the second row ahead of (Shinya) Makabe, who moves to the bench. We rested Luke for the Romania game so we are expecting a big performance from him in the Georgia game."

Behind the forwards, who will have their work cut out against one of the most physical packs in world rugby, the backs have been rejigged to allow the return of Yu Tamura at flyhalf.

"Tamura is back to full fitness so he takes over the 10 spot from Kosei (Ono), who played exceptionally well last week," said Jones, who brings in Harumichi Tatekawa at inside center.

"Haru has now come back into form so we've elevated him to a starting position at 12 with Male (Sa'u) out to 13 and (Kotaro) Matsushima to the right wing, which unfortunately means (Akihito) Yamada misses out on this game."

The two sides have met twice with Japan winning 32-7 in Osaka in May 2006, a game that saw Daisuke Ohata bag a hat-trick to become the leading try scorer in test-match rugby.

Two years ago, a last-minute drop goal by Ono -- in boots he was borrowing from Yasuki Hayashi after the flyhalf left his in Romania -- saw the Brave Blossoms beat the Lelos 25-22.

Jones said he was expecting a similarly tight affair on Sunday.

"It's the last game of the year so I am looking forward to playing some good rugby against a very physical and committed team."