Rugby Union: Japan wing in Williams: Wallaby faces Wales

AUSTRALIAN names were in abundance yesterday with news that Ian Williams, the former Wallaby, will be winning a first cap for Japan against Wales in Cardiff tomorrow, while the man who once captained him, Nick Farr-Jones, was named in a French Barbarians team to face the Wallabies at Clermont- Ferrand next month, writes Barrie Fairall.

Williams won 17 caps for Australia, beginning against Argentina in Buenos Aires in 1987 and signing off against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1990. But the 30-year-old wing who went to Oxford has sinced winged his way to Japan, where he is now a corporate planner for Kobe Steel.

Meanwhile, there is no place in the Japanese side for another of their overseas recruits, Tupo Faamasino, who appeared for Western Samoa against the Welsh in 1988. His place goes to Eiji Kutsuki.

As for Farr-Jones, the scrum-half will have England's Jeremy Guscott and Gary Whetton, the former All Blacks captain, for company in the French Baa-Baas side to tackle his compatriots on 11 November. By then, the Wallabies will have played their two Tests against France.

Ian Hunter and Tim Rodber, who missed the defeat against Wales A at Pontypool on Wednesday night, bolster up the North side for the start of the Divisional Championship against London at Newcastle tomorrow. Dewi Morris is still absent at scrum-half, though, with a damaged shoulder but expects to be fit for the North's second match against the South-West tomorrow week.

Squads, Sporting Digest, page 39