Japan v Wales: Score and latest updates from first Test in Kitakyushu
'I was trying to explain what it was like in 2019 and how big that World Cup was here. We went for a team walk and we had some of the guys coming up to a few of the boys and asking for photos and autographs. It shows how much support we have here and a lot of that comes from the World Cup.'
Wales had just two players named on the British and Irish Lions tour; Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams, although the latter has been ruled out of the tour due to a hamstring injury. Dewi Lakes captains the side on this tour.
Japan have not played since last year when they lost 59-14 against England at Allianz Stadium. A Japan XV lost 20-53 to Maori All Blacks in Tokyo a week ago. Veteran Michael Leitch will captain Eddie Jones' side; he has 87 caps to his name and is the only player in the Japan squad to have more than 50 caps.
These sides last met back in November 2016, when Wales won 33-30 in Cardiff. Wales have lost just once to Japan, whose sole victory came in 2013 during Eddie Jones' first tenure in charge of Japan as they won 23-8 in Tokyo. Today is the first of two Tests between the sides, with the second match coming in Kobe in a week's time. Kick-off from Kitakyushu is at 6am BST.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
33 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Wales losing run extends to 18 defeats after late capitulation against Japan
First-half tries from Ben Thomas and Tom Rogers, as well as a penalty try and a Sam Costelow conversion, gave Wales a 19-7 interval lead and hopes of a first victory since beating Georgia at the 2023 World Cup 21 months ago. But Japan dominated the second half and tries from Takuro Matsunaga, Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea, plus nine points from the boot of Seungsin Lee, piled on more misery for Wales. 🚨 𝙎𝙜ô𝙧 𝙏𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙡 | 🇯🇵24-19🏴#WelshRugby | #JPNvWAL — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) July 5, 2025 Brave Blossoms boss Eddie Jones said he had hoped for a hot day to 'run Wales off their feet' and the oppressive conditions – with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius as well as high humidity – meant water breaks in each half and an extended interval. A slippery ball produced countless handling errors and there was often little rhythm to a disrupted contest that took over two hours to complete. Taulupe Faletau, Nicky Smith, Ben Thomas and Blair Murray survived from the 68-14 thrashing to England in the Six Nations as interim head coach Matt Sherratt made 11 changes. Number eight Faletau – the fifth-most capped Welshman – made his 109th appearance but it was largely an inexperienced line-up with six starters having fewer than 10 caps. Wales' fall from grace had left them in 12th place on World Rugby's rankings table, one spot above Japan, and it was very much a meeting between two teams in transition. There was a worrying start to the contest as Ben Carter took a hit to the side of the head inside 30 seconds. Carter slumped to the ground after attempting to make a tackle and there was a lengthy stoppage before the second row forward was taken away on a stretcher. Wales immediately shrugged off that blow as Faletau exploited space profited from a line-out ploy to send Thomas over with a well-timed pass and Costelow converted. Japan were on the backfoot and struggling to get out of their own half, but scored from their first attack after 16 minutes as winger Kippei Ishida sliced through midfield to set up Matsunaga and Lee's kick restored parity. Wales hit the front again with a penalty try after Nakakusu, who had replaced the injured Matsunaga moments earlier, deliberately slapped the ball away as Josh Adams closed on Kieran Hardy's chip by the try line. Nakakusu suffered further punishment with a yellow card, and Wales took advantage of their extra man after Japan had found touch from the kick-off. Faletau broke away from a scrum going backwards and Hardy, Costelow and Johnny Williams moved the ball on for Rogers to scamper into the corner. The tide turned in the second half as Amato Fakatava saw his effort ruled out for a Shinobu Fujiwara knock-on, but Japan were not to be denied after going through the phases. Rogers slipped off a tackle and Nakakusu dived over with Lee adding the extras and soon reducing the deficit to two points with a penalty. Japan got their noses in front for the first time as replacement Vailea barged over and Lee's sparked celebrations that continued until the final whistle. The two-match series will conclude in Kobe next Saturday.
The Herald Scotland
42 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Wales losing run extends to 18 defeats after late capitulation against Japan
But Japan dominated the second half and tries from Takuro Matsunaga, Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea, plus nine points from the boot of Seungsin Lee, piled on more misery for Wales. Brave Blossoms boss Eddie Jones said he had hoped for a hot day to 'run Wales off their feet' and the oppressive conditions – with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius as well as high humidity – meant water breaks in each half and an extended interval. A slippery ball produced countless handling errors and there was often little rhythm to a disrupted contest that took over two hours to complete. Taulupe Faletau, Nicky Smith, Ben Thomas and Blair Murray survived from the 68-14 thrashing to England in the Six Nations as interim head coach Matt Sherratt made 11 changes. Number eight Faletau – the fifth-most capped Welshman – made his 109th appearance but it was largely an inexperienced line-up with six starters having fewer than 10 caps. Wales' fall from grace had left them in 12th place on World Rugby's rankings table, one spot above Japan, and it was very much a meeting between two teams in transition. There was a worrying start to the contest as Ben Carter took a hit to the side of the head inside 30 seconds. Carter slumped to the ground after attempting to make a tackle and there was a lengthy stoppage before the second row forward was taken away on a stretcher. Wales' Ben Carter suffered an injury setback (David Davies/PA) Wales immediately shrugged off that blow as Faletau exploited space profited from a line-out ploy to send Thomas over with a well-timed pass and Costelow converted. Japan were on the backfoot and struggling to get out of their own half, but scored from their first attack after 16 minutes as winger Kippei Ishida sliced through midfield to set up Matsunaga and Lee's kick restored parity. Wales hit the front again with a penalty try after Nakakusu, who had replaced the injured Matsunaga moments earlier, deliberately slapped the ball away as Josh Adams closed on Kieran Hardy's chip by the try line. Nakakusu suffered further punishment with a yellow card, and Wales took advantage of their extra man after Japan had found touch from the kick-off. Faletau broke away from a scrum going backwards and Hardy, Costelow and Johnny Williams moved the ball on for Rogers to scamper into the corner. The tide turned in the second half as Amato Fakatava saw his effort ruled out for a Shinobu Fujiwara knock-on, but Japan were not to be denied after going through the phases. Eddie Jones' Japan emerged victorious (David Davies/PA) Rogers slipped off a tackle and Nakakusu dived over with Lee adding the extras and soon reducing the deficit to two points with a penalty. Japan got their noses in front for the first time as replacement Vailea barged over and Lee's sparked celebrations that continued until the final whistle. The two-match series will conclude in Kobe next Saturday.
Wales Online
43 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Wales player ratings vs Japan as far too many crumble in second-half capitulation
Wales player ratings vs Japan as far too many crumble in second-half capitulation Wales fell to yet another Test defeat in scorching conditions in Kitakyushu Wales players react after allowing Japan their third try (Image: Masterpress/Getty Images ) Wales' losing run at Test level stretched to 18 matches as they collapsed in the heat against Japan in Kitakyushu. In difficult conditions that probably didn't translate on the TV, Wales crumbled as they failed to score in the second half. Here's how the players rated... Blair Murray - 6 Little chance with ball in hand, but when he first got one, he beat two men in a phone box. Few other moments of fleet-footedness, but not a game made for the full-back. Tom Rogers - 5 Article continues below Took his try well. Good in the air. Will be disappointed to have fallen off the tackle for Japan's second. Johnny Williams - 4 First start for Wales in the 13 jersey after nearly two years away from Test rugby. Caught narrow too often, including for both Japan tries. Ben Thomas - 5 Nice line for the opening score. Kicking game worked in the first half to keep Wales' tackles down, but maybe became a bit of a crutch as the match went on. Josh Adams - 6 First touch saw him cut back inside to space for a half-break. The sort of opportunities that haven't been coming his way at Test level for a while. Strong under the high ball too. Sam Costelow - 4 Tends to be a player who attracts a lot of criticism, as most Welsh 10s do. Was solid for the most part, but Wales clearly relied too heavily on the boot in these conditions. Kieran Hardy - 5 Smart kick over the top for the penalty try, while some other kicks were on the money. Became over-reliant on the boot and was a little loose around the edges of the breakdown. Nicky Smith - 5 Mixed day at the scrum. Wales were on top early on, but Japan seemed to grow in that area of the game. Important breakdown penalty just before he was replaced after 50 minutes. Dewi Lake - 6 Couple of early lineouts narrowly evaded their target, but that was more to do with greasy ball than bad throw. The captain largely fixed that, chucked himself into everything and carried well when asked. One breakdown penalty in particular felt like a level above most things in this match, in terms of quality. Keiron Assiratti - 4 Few issues at the scrum after a strong start. Ben Carter - N/A After waiting a year to pull on the Welsh jersey again, it's such a shame his return to Test rugby lasted just seconds. The main priority is that the injury hopefully isn't too serious. Teddy Williams - 5 Got around the park well. Not too much else to say. Alex Mann - 5 Tackled everything to begin with. Penalties crept up as he was asked to go the full 80. Emptied the tank though in a losing effort Josh Macleod - 5 Waited a long time for this. Tackled like a man who has been eager for a Test recall for three years. Some good breakdown work, including one penalty late in the first half. Perhaps a bit overeager at times in the second-half, with one offload nearly gifting Japan a try. Taulupe Faletau - 7 Deft pass at the line for the opener. What you expect from Faletau. Also made Rogers' score. Some lovely handling skills when others were struggling with the bar of soap. Still so classy. The few moments of genuine quality tended to involve him. Hopefully the knock he took before coming off isn't too serious. Replacements Liam Belcher - 4 Made his Wales debut with 12 minutes to go and the game still in the balance. Immediately found himself behind on the scoreboard. Arrows off target, unfortunately. Gareth Thomas - 4 Scrum continued to struggle when he came on. Archie Griffin - 4 Was sent skywards in one scrum. James Ratti - 5 Thrust into the game much earlier than expected. Solid enough. Aaron Wainwright - 5 Brought energy, but little chance to make an impact. Tommy Reffell - 5 No real sniffs at the breakdown as Japan finished the stronger side. Rhodri Williams - N/A Didn't get on. Joe Roberts - 5 Article continues below Some decent cover tackles as the game got loose, but no time to impress.
