Japan coach Jamie Joseph is hoping Typhoon Hagibis will not prevent Sunday's winner-takes-all game with Scotland from going ahead as he does not want there to be any questions as to whether his side are worthy of a place in the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup.

"We have played and won three test matches, and that has put us in the best position in our pool. I'd like to remind everyone it hasn't been a fluke," he said Friday in naming his team for the game in Yokohama.

"It's important for us to wake up on Monday morning and understand we're a worthy Top-8 team, or we're not quite good enough. We're motivated by achieving something great rather than avoiding an embarrassment."

(Jamie Joseph attends a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 11, 2019 to announce his squad for a Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Scotland.)

Japan go into Sunday's Pool A game at International Stadium Yokohama (Nissan Stadium) on 14 points, three more than Ireland, who play Samoa on Saturday in Fukuoka. Scotland have 10 points and must beat the hosts to have a chance of progressing to the quarterfinals.

However, there are question marks as to whether the game, which Joseph said is the biggest in Japan rugby history, will go ahead.

The approach of Typhoon Hagibis has already seen two games cancelled including the England vs France game originally slated for Saturday at the same venue. Organizers said Thursday a decision on the Pool finale will be made Sunday up to six hours before the scheduled 7:45 pm kickoff.

"Everyone in our squad wants to play," said Joseph, who sprung a surprise by naming William Tupou ahead of Ryohei Yamanaka at fullback, one of four changes from the team that started last week's win over Samoa.

Veterans Shota Horie and Luke Thompson return at hooker and lock, respectively, and Kenki Fukuoka is named at left wing ahead of Lomano Lava Lemeki, who drops out of the match-day 23.

A fully-fit Michael Leitch will lead the team on the field, having served under Pieter Labuschagne the past two games as Joseph looked to ease some of the burden on the Brave Blossoms' talismanic captain, who has not played a great deal of rugby since December.

"He can't go outside the hotel without signing autographs," said Joseph. "But he is the most appropriate leader. And he is the leader for this game."

Horie will pack down between Keita Inagaki and Koo Ji Won, while Thompson pairs with James Moore in the engine room.

Leitch, Labuschagne and the outstanding Kazuki Himeno form the back row.

Yutaka Nagare and Yu Tamura continue at halfback with Ryoto Nakamura and Timothy Lafaele in the midfield, and Kotaro Matsushima, Fukuoka and Tupou in the back three.

Hooker Atsushi Sakate joins Yamanaka in dropping down to the bench, where they will be joined by props Isileli Nakajima and Asaeli Ai Valu.

Uwe Helu and Hendrik Tui are the two other back-up forwards, while Fumiaki Tanaka and Rikiya Matsuda are the two other replacement backs.