Todd Clever will captain the USA Eagles against Japan in Nagoya © Getty Images

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Matches: Japan 29 - 19 United States of America

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The USA Eagles and the Japan Cherry Blossoms have named the teams they for the first matchin their two-Test series at Mizuho Park Rugby Ground, in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday.

The Eagles tour of Japan is the first since 2005, when the Eagles were there for the Super Powers Cup, but due to the draw did not actually face Japan. Japan and the USA have a long history, however, facing each other a total of 16 times, dating back to the first encounter in Tokyo in 1985.

The USA has won 12 tests to Japan's three with one test finishing in a draw. The last time Japan and the USA met was at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia with the Eagles winning 39-26.

The Eagles head into this tour fresh off its 43-9 win over Uruguay, which took place on November 8 in Salt Lake City. That win marked the first for the the US national side in just over two years. The starting squad Eagles Coach Scott Johnson named is basically the same one that started against Uruguay, with the only exception being 20-year-old Thretton Palamo taking Salesi Sika's spot in the reserves.

"Japan will be very quick and very intense," Johnson said. "It will be a very fast game and the new laws cater to that style. Although it will take us and the rest of the developing rugby unions a while to get there, that is the future of this game and we need to start building to that. There are a few younger lads on this squad that I was excited to get to see play in Salt Lake City and the squad on the whole is more fit than they have been in the past."

Japan Head coach John Kirwan added, "I have been very pleased in our build up to the USA series. We had a good selection process and we were able to pick a squad of quality players. We have also chosen a number of young players that we hope will develop into world class players of the future.

This match will be just the first of two for the Eagles and Cherry Blossoms. Their second match of the tour will be held on Saturday, November 22 at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo.

Japan: Kaoru Matsushita (Yamaha Jubilo), Kosuke Endo (Toyota Verblitz), Koji Taira (Suntory Sungoliath), Ryan Nicholas (Suntory Sungoliath), Koji Tomioka (Yamaha Jubilo), Shaun Webb (World Fighting Bull), Fumiaki Tanaka (Sanyo Wild Knights), Hisateru Hirashima (Kobelco Steelers), Yusuke Aoki (Suntory Sungoliath), Kensuke Hatakeyama (Suntory Sungoliath), Luke Thompson (Kintetsu Liners), Toshizumi Kitagawa (Toyota Verblitz), Hajime Kiso (Yamaha Jubilo), Takashi Kikutani (Toyota Verblitz, captain), Ryu Koliniasi Holani (Sanyo Wild Knights)

Replacements: Naonori Mizuyama (NEC Green Rockets), Naoki Kawamata (Sanyo Wild Knights), Tomoaki Taniguchi (Toyota Verblitz), Michael Leitch (Tokai University), Tomoki Yoshida (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Masakazu Irie (Sanyo Wild Knights), Bryce Robins (NEC Green Rockets)

USA: Chris Wyles(Saracens), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz), Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma), Junior Sifa (Middleton), Gavin DeBartolo (Eastern Suburbs), Mike Hercus (IBM), Mike Petri (NYAC), Mike MacDonald (Leeds Carnegie), Mark Crick (Potomac Athletic Club), Matekitonga Moeakiola (Unattached), Hayden Smith (Saracens), John VanderGiessen (Denver Barbarians), Inaki Basauri (Agen), Todd Clever (Xerox Lions, captain), Pat Quinn (Denver Barbarians)

Replacements: Joe Welch (Cal), Shawn Pittman (Chuckanut Bay), Alec Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen), J.J. Gagiano (University of Cape Town), Chad Erskine (Rotherham), Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore), Thretton Palamo (Biarritz)

Referee: Peter. Fitzgibbon (Ireland)