FRENCH star Thomas Castaignde will make his first start in Japan after being named in the team to face Suntory at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday, August 25.

The international, who returned to the squad at the end of last season following a lengthy injury, replaces Adryan Winnan at full back after coach Wayne Shelford opted to completely shuffle his pack for the game against the national champions following the 66-12 defeat of Sanix at the weekend.

The game will be of huge importance to the talismanic Frenchman whose well-publicised injury hell had placed a question mark on whether he would ever play the game again.

Shelford has made a total of eight changes in personnel to the starting XV, but explained: "There is no rhyme or reason for my selection.

"It's just important to give everyone a game, and there are a few combinations that are untried and players will be tested under pressure. All players taking part are out to impress.

"The game against Sanix was not as challenging as we thought it might be, but I'm sure it will be a much stiffer challenge against Suntory on Sunday."

Meanwhile, new signing Morgan Williams, who linked up with the squad on Wednesday after helping Canada qualify for the World Cup, is expected to get at least 45 minutes, while Sarries' Japanese star Kensuke Iwabuchi, who impressed at scrum half and fly half last time out, starts out on the wing.

Saracens are expected to win comfortably, but Kyran Bracken will be hoping for a quieter game than against Sanix when the England scrum half resumed his rivalry with former All Black Jamie Joseph.

At times, the game threatened to boil over, and Joseph, who stamped on Bracken's ankle in a well-publicised incident during an England v New Zealand international, was sin-binned.

However, Shelford is likely to be pleased that the game did provide some sort of competitive challenge because rugby-wise Saracens were head and shoulders above their Japanese hosts.

August 23, 2002 11:30