Fly-half Kosei Ono wants Japan to send a message against South Africa – even if they fail to beat them.

Eddie Jones’s side have targeted their first win in a World Cup since 1991 and the form book suggests that is unlikely to come at the Amex tomorrow.

But they can show rivals what they made of.

Ono, confirmed at No.10 to face the Springboks as coach Eddie Jones announced his XV, told The Argus: “If we play the way we want to play, we will send a message to the other three teams.

“It’s always best to set your standards high and see what you can do against a team like the Springboks.”

Ono and star scrum half Fumiaki Tanaka will be key to Japan’s hopes.

Hendrik Tui, who will start at No.8, added: “We set a couple of goals about four years ago.

“We wanted to win a game at the World Cup and we wanted to be top ten.

“We have achieved the second of those so the main goal now is to win at the World Cup.”

Japan are skippered by flanker Michael Leitch, born in New Zealand of Fijian parents and resident in the nation for the last 11 years having arrived as a schoolboy.

Japan XV: Goromaru; Yamada, Sau, Wing, Matsushima; K.Ono, Tanaka; Mikami, Horie, Katakeyama; Thompson, H.Ono; Leitch, Tui, Broadhurst.