Japan will begin to lay their foundations for the 2003 World Cup when they take on Farance A in Lille tomorrow.

After a dismal Epson Cup campaign the side bounced back to win the Asian Championship in the summer but believe they are still some way off their best.

Coach Seiji Hirao commented, "We have a lot of new players, so the biggest thing is that it will give our team more experience. Some of the World Cup players have got good experience, but we are fielding a number of younger players with an eye on the next World Cup."

Japan move on to play Ireland on 11 Novemeber after their clash with France.

Japan
Goshi Tachikawa (Toshiba Fuchu); Daisuke Ohata (Kobe Steel), Reo Kawai (NEC), Hideki Namba (Toyota Motors), Patiliai Tuidraki (Toyota); Keiji Hirose (Toyota), Katsuji Ohara (Toyota); Takeomi Ito (Kobe Steel), Koichi Kubo (Yahama Motors), Hiroshi Sugawara (Toyota); Hiroyuki Tanuma (Rioch), Karl Todd (IBM Japan); Masahiko Toyoyama (Toyota), Noboru Yasuda (World), Kenichi Takayanagi (Toyota)

Replacements: Michinori Oda (World), Soshi Fuchigami (Coca Cola West Japan), Mamoru Ito (Toshiba Fuchu), Yasunori Watanabe (Toshiba).

France A
Pepito Elhorga (Agen); Xavier Garbajosa (Toulouse), Damien Traille (Pau), Sebastien Bonetti (Biarritz), Yannick Larguet (Bourgoin); Gerald Merceron (Montferrand), Christophe Laussucq (Stade Francais); Patrick Tabacco (Stade Francais), Alexandre Audebert (Montferrand), Christophe Millheres (Biarritz); Lionel Nallet (Bourgoin), Samuel Nouchi (Biarritz); Benoit Lecouls (Agen), Yannick Bru (Toulouse), Oliver Milloud (Bourgoin).

Replacements: Nicolas Couttet (Biarritz), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (La Rochelle), Jerome Fillol (Toulouse), Jean Bouilhou (Toulouse), Nicolas Spangherd (Dax)