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Rugby: Michael Leitch shifts to 2nd row for Japan clash with Georgia

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Rugby: Michael Leitch shifts to 2nd row for Japan clash with Georgia


Captain Michael Leitch will make his anticipated switch to the second row and university student Yoshitaka Yazaki will earn his second cap at fullback when Japan host Georgia in an international rugby test Saturday.

The test at Yurtec Stadium Sendai in northeastern Japan is Eddie Jones’ second following his reappointment as Brave Blossoms head coach.

Leitch’s move away from the back row comes as Jones seeks to implement his “super-fast” vision of Japanese rugby. Speaking to reporters after his team announcement Thursday, Jones described the 35-year-old Leitch as the best option at lock.

Japan captain Michael Leitch (L) and head coach Eddie Jones appear at an online press conference in Tokyo on July 11, 2024. (Copyright JRFU) (Kyodo)

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“I’m getting a feel for the role,” Leitch said. “The key will be how well we can contain their big forwards.”

The Australian coach has chosen a pair of quick flankers in Kubota Spears’ Faulua Makisi and Tokyo Sungoliath’s Kanji Shimokawa, with Bordeaux’s Tevita Tatafu starting at No. 8.

Naoto Saito, who has signed to play with French powerhouse Toulouse in the upcoming season, starts at scrumhalf.

Japan are currently No. 12 in the World Rugby rankings, two spots above Georgia. The Brave Blossoms have won five and lost one of their previous meetings.


Related coverage:

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Rugby: Japan international Saito moves to French powerhouse Toulouse

Rugby: Japan XV beat Maori All Blacks in non-test match

Rugby: New Japan flanker Tiennan Costley shows value on big stage



Japan:

Takayoshi Mohara, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi; Michael Leitch, Warner Dearns; Faulua Makisi, Kanji Shimokawa, Tevita Tatafu; Naoto Saito, Lee Seung Sin; Tomoki Osada, Samisoni Tua, Dylan Riley, Jone Naikabula, Yoshitaka Yazaki.

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Reserves:

Atsushi Sakate, Takato Okabe, Keijiro Tamefusa, Sanaila Waqa, Tiennan Costley, Taiki Koyama, Takuya Yamasawa, Koga Nezuka.


 





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Georgia

DHS appears to axe plan to construct immigration detention megacenter in small Georgia town

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DHS appears to axe plan to construct immigration detention megacenter in small Georgia town


After months of tension between the city of Social Circle and the federal government, the city announced in a press release Thursday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will abandon its plan to convert an industrial warehouse into a 10,000-bed immigration detention center in the rural community.  The department’s apparent decision to discontinue the […]



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Proposed Georgia bill restricts voting to U.S. citizens

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Proposed Georgia bill restricts voting to U.S. citizens


GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.

The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”

If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.

Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”

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According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.

SR 4EX Text

“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”

The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.

That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.





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Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s dominant win over Georgia

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Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s dominant win over Georgia


The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.

A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.

Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.

From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.

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Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.

Playing for a Natty

Incredible Job by Skip Johnson

Definition of Team

Just Unreal

Got Hot at the Right Time

The Moment from the Dugout

Freshmen Phenoms

Nothing Easy, Everything Earned

Team of Destiny?

Exceeding All Expectations

Dasan Harris is that Dude

Incredible Story

Sooner Magic is alive and well

Playing for a trophy

Time to lay it all on the line

Just doing ridiculous things

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.





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