The Wallabies are bracing for brutal heat and an up-tempo Japan game plan as they prepare for Saturday's Test in Osaka, the first under new coach Les Kiss.
Strike forward Rob Valetini said the team is using daily sauna sessions to acclimatize, but admitted the humidity is tough. "We're just trying to get daily exposures to that and I don't know if it's working today. It was pretty cooked," he said.
Valetini expects former Brumbies coach Eddie Jones, now with Japan, to use the heat to tire the Wallabies. "Japan are a team that love to play fast... we think they'll try to use that to their game plan and try and run us off our feet," he said.
The Wallabies ended their campaign under Joe Schmidt with a 57-10 win over Italy, and Valetini stressed the importance of starting the Kiss era with a win. "We're definitely trending and this game is going to be definitely important," he said.
In other rugby news, the Western Force signed former Rebels forward Trevor Hosea on a two-year deal, and the Waratahs picked up playmaker Max Burey for two Super Rugby Pacific seasons.
Source: juneesoutherncross.com.au
