Japan’s assistant coach Mark Ella said his team could push some of their heavyweight opponents hard in the Rugby World Cup.
The former champion Wallaby fly half has been coaching the Japanese backs since March.
They kick their campaign off against Scotland in Townsville on Sunday.
“It’s pretty difficult. (Pool B opponents) Scotland, France and Fiji are big, physical teams and that’s not to say USA aren’t either," Ella said.
”But we can give Scotland a run for their money. Our players are pretty fit and very fast on their feet. They want to play an open style of rugby.”
Ella never played Japan and has learned a lot from talking to his brother Glenn, who coached there with current Wallaby mentor Eddie Jones on the 1990s.
“Japanese culture is very different (from Australian culture), their approach to rugby is also very different,” he said.
And the language barrier makes it “sometimes difficult to get the message across”.
However, the side has started to come together in the lead in to the RWC and will be up for the challenge of playing Scotland in the formidable North Queensland heat.
“I just want the players to play to their potential," he said. We’ve got to make tackles and be competitive. I just hope they go out and have a go.
One thing Ella has had no problem becoming accustomed to is the Japanese cuisine.
“Japan food is fine,” he said.
The squad have brought there own chef over to Australia and he has three able assistants to help him prepare the meals.
“There has been a hell of a lot of rice sent over," he said. One of our baggage guys came over early especially to unload it.”