A year away from Rugby World Cup 2019, Harumichi Tatekawa expects the Sunwolves to become a Super Rugby springboard for Japan's national team.

Japan's Super Rugby franchise, which leaps into action on Feb. 24, will this season be run by national team head coach Jamie Joseph, who oversaw a solid string of autumn internationals. And Tatekawa said the Super Rugby season will be a chance to sharpen last year's lessons and bridge the gap to next year's World Cup.

"From a team standpoint, I felt we were more cohesive in the autumn," Tatekawa told reporters in January as the Sunwolves gathered to prepare for the 2018 season.

Starting from last Oct. 28, the Brave Blossoms lost to a World XV in Fukuoka before going down 63-30 to Australia in Yokohama. But Joseph's men shone in their final two games in France, a 39-6 win over Tonga and a 23-23 draw against France -- that just missed being Japan's first win against that first-tier nation.

"The leadership group became stronger under the tutelage of (captain Michael) Leitch. We really became a team," Tatekawa said. "It felt as if the team moved in synch as a result of the core players providing leadership."

"Even the young players clearly spoke their minds. The individuals gained confidence as we got results, and came to share a belief that this is the way we should play rugby."

"Now in the spring, the national team will be apart and it would be a huge waste if we have to start that process over from scratch, so at this time I want to act in concert with the other leaders in the Sunwolves and keep at it."

While the national team showed improvement under new defensive coach John Plumtree, Tatekawa said he didn't expect the Sunwolves, who to change much with Scott Hansen overseeing the Super Rugby defense.

What Tatekawa said must change, however, are the franchise's results against Australian teams with the Sunwolves playing this season in the Australian conference, although he believes having fewer jet lag issues will help that goal.

"In order to reach our target of finishing in fifth place (overall), competing against Australian teams will be key," Tatekawa said. "In particular, we want to win our home games against them, both here and in Singapore."

"Last year we had to travel huge distances and we had a lot of replacements come in and it was hard for the team to come together. The first year was like that as well. Traveling to far away games and being on the road for extended periods comes with the job, but this year it will be a little less."

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"To have home and away games with the teams in Australia where there's only a small time difference is a plus and that will create better circumstances, and so we need to get better results and compete fiercely against them."

The Sunwolves open their season next week at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground against the Canberra-based Brumbies, a team Tatekawa spent time with as a reserve.

"The Brumbies are a team that gave me an opportunity," Tatekawa said. "A lot of guys who were there with me, are there now. On a personal level, it's going to be fun hosting them in Japan. Of course, while I will enjoy that and I respect them, I will be there competing and doing my best to beat them."

"Among the backs are a lot of the guys I played with, and when Japan played Australia, I saw some of them, and we were looking forward to the Brumbies playing in Tokyo."