How to watch Wales v Japan on TV for free - channel and UK kick-off time
Wales face Japan in the first of a two-Test series in the Far East
Dewi Lake speaks in the Wales team huddle.
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Wales are back in international action on Saturday with a win very much on the agenda.
It doesn't really need to be said again but Wales are on a 17-Test losing streak at present and haven't won since 2023, with back-to-back Six Nations wooden spoons recorded in that time.
Last time out they were humbled on their own patch by England and wounds will still be gaping from that 14-68 scoreline.
Matt Sherratt once again takes the reins this summer on an interim basis, having taken charge of the final three games of the 2025 Six Nations following Warren Gatland's mid-tournament departure.
Sherratt, along with his coaches, has been working Dewi Lake and Co hard in order to prepare them for the oppressive Japanese heat which will hit them this weekend. As such, there will be a 20-minute half-time in Kitakyushu.
The hosts are one place behind Wales in the world rankings and the results of these two Test matches could have big implications for both teams.
Article continues below
Here is everything you need to know about the clash in the Far East.
What time is Japan v Wales kick-off?
Japan v Wales kicks off at 6am UK time (2pm local) at the Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu, on Saturday, July 5.
Is the game on TV?
Yes, it is, and it's available for free, too.
After a long delay in confirmation, the BBC and S4C have picked up the rights for this two-Test series.
The first Test will be shown on BBC One Wales, with the second on S4C.
You'll be able to stream the matches on BBC iPlayer.
What have the coaches said?
Eddie Jones: "We know Kitakyushu is going to be difficult conditions for both teams and the team that handles the conditions the best will win the game.
"We have had good preparation in the heat to play against Wales in those conditions and we could not have asked for more.
"It has been 32C every time we have trained. The ball is like a cake of soap and we have wet the field, so it has made the conditions difficult for the players.
"We can't do any more heat acclimatisation than we have done, so we are ready to go."
Matt Sherratt: "We've had a very good build-up. We tried to give everyone a fair chance of selection. One of the key messages was it's going to be a 23-man job. So, we've tried to spread the experience out in terms of getting some experience coming off the bench.
'I think an 80-minute performance, that physical edge and making sure that we transfer training into the game is going to be the biggest thing for us.
'It's going to be humid. It's going to be hot. Japan traditionally play quite a fast brand of rugby, so us getting up to speed with that is going to be key.
'We've seen from just being around Kitakyushu this last week, there seems to be a real affinity between some of the Japanese locals and the Welsh team. Hopefully it will be fantastic on Saturday.'
Confirmed teams
Japan: Takuro Matsunaga; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Malo Tuitama; Seungsin Lee, Shinobu Fujiwara; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Amato Fakatava.
Article continues below
Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Keijiro Tamefusa, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shuntaro Kitamura, Ichigo Nakakusu, Halatoa Vailea.
Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Joe Roberts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Saturday's briefing: Saying goodbye to Diogo Jota and England start Euros
On the pitch, England and Wales both launch their Euro 2025 campaigns in Switzerland with the defending champions in action after Rhian Wilkinson's finals first-timers. Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is facing a court appearance after being charged with five counts of rape. The funeral of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva will take place in Portugal on Saturday morning. Mourners will gather to pay their respects to the two men at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar at 10am a day after a wake was held at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao. Jota, 28, and his 26-year-old brother died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Their deaths prompted an outpouring of sympathy for Jota's wife Rute, who he married less than two weeks ago, their three children and the wider family from the football world and beyond. England captain Leah Williamson revealed she finally felt free to let go of 'anxiety' on the eve of the Lionesses' European Championship opener against France in Zurich. The Arsenal defender, who famously lifted the trophy in 2022, was forced to miss England's first run to a Women's World Cup final two summers ago in Australia after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. 'I've probably held some anxiety, I suppose, up until this moment,' said Williamson, when asked if missing the World Cup and her recovery had given her a new appreciation for this opportunity. 'I wanted to experience another tournament for England, and being away from home is special. It's a bit different to England in 2022, so I'm just taking everything in. I'm very excited. Obviously so much has changed, so I'm intrigued to come back and enjoy that tournament football.' Rhian Wilkinson is confident Wales are ready for their 'watershed moment' on a first major tournament stage at Euro 2025. While few expect Wales, who kick off their campaign against the Netherlands in Lucerne on Saturday evening as the lowest ranked team in the competition, to progress from a daunting group which also includes England and France, Wilkinson believes the game has changed in the country forever. Speaking at her pre-match press conference, she said: 'This is a wonderful team, great people, fantastic footballers, and we're going to be tested against some of the best in the world. 'That's what we've been wanting. To showcase Wales as a country, this team and their talent.' Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with raping two women. The Metropolitan Police said the Ghana international, whose contract at the Emirates Stadium expired on June 30, faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following alleged offences between 2021 and 2022. Partey's lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said he 'denies all the charges against him', adding: 'He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.' The player, who is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5, is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts of rape against another. The sexual assault allegation relates to a third woman, police added. European champions England launch their defence with a tough Group D opener against France in Zurich. Debutants and group rivals Wales also get under way when they face the Netherlands in Lucerne looking to gain a foothold in the competition. At the Club World Cup, Champions League winners Paris St Germain go head-to-head with Bayern Munich in Atlanta with a semi-final against either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who meet at the MetLife Stadium, at stake.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Joe Cordina had it all taken away from him but this time he's doing it his way
Joe Cordina had it all taken away from him but this time he's doing it his way Welshman Joe Cordina is back in action against Mexican Jaret Gonzales Quiroz in Manchester tonight Welsh fighter Joe Cordina (Image:) "It's been challenging but unfortunately it's out of my hands. My faith is strong, though. "It's God's plan. It's not my plan. So I've just to let it it run." Joe Cordina's choosing to take a philosophical outlook to what's undeniably been a difficult 13 months or so. On Saturday, the 33-year-old is poised to make his long-awaited return to the ring by taking on Mexican Jaret Gonzales Quiroz on the undercard of Jack Catterall's showdown with Harlem Eubank at Manchester's AO Arena. It's a fight he hopes will present the first step towards world title contention. Cordina lost his IBF Super World Featherweight title to Anthony Cacace in Riyadh last May. A rematch was touted, but never materialised, with Cordina instead moving up to lightweight, the division where he'd previously claimed British and Commonwealth titles. Article continues below Nevertheless, the Cacace defeat clearly left a bruise, and when the opportunity to take on current WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson back October also evaporated, it only deepened frustrations for the Welshman, who has his own theories around the American's decision to withdraw from the fight. "I think there's a lot more to it than just him getting injured," he tells WaleOnline. "It was quite hard to take because those fights are the ones everyone wants to be involved in. "Win, lose or draw, it was my big night, and it got taken away from me. So, of course, I was gutted, but I just had to make peace with it. "I just think he could have easily made that fight. He wasn't quite sure. Stylistically I'm a nightmare for anyone. I don't care if you can punch. I don't care if you can box. If you can box and you're a technically great fighter like Shakur, he makes it boring. I can make it boring too. "If you can punch, I can make it very, very hard for you to land that big punch. I just think he wasn't too sure. I think it could have been a style clash between me and him. Joe Cordina (Image:) "We can revisit it because we're at the same weight now and he's got a world title and that's what I want. "He called me out when I had a world title at super featherweight and he had one, then he moved up. "So we can get it on for sure. But it's whether he's got the bottle. He seems to fight everyone else apart from the top guys. "I'm not a top guy in this weight now. I've not got a world title yet. But I soon will have. So he'll have no choice but to fight me if he wants another one." This isn't the first comeback Cordina has faced down in his career, of course. Just four months after becoming IBF world super-featherweight champion, Cordina was stripped of the title after injury forced him to pull out of a mandatory defence with Shavkat Rakhimov that had initially been pencilled in for November 2022. He would eventually reclaim his belt in the ring the following April, but it was an episode that clearly took its toll, with Cordina admitting he even considered walking away from the sport when he learned he would need surgery. Given the scale of this most recent setback, one can't help but wonder if a similar thought had crossed his mind in the last few months. "No," is the emphatic reply. "The reason why I was like that back then was because when I injured my hand, it was the first-ever time. It was lockdown too, so that plus my hand injury meant I was out of the ring for 18 months. "Then to come back and have two fights, then get ready for my third fight and break my hand, snap it straight away, in a spar getting ready for the Rakhimov fight. I was thinking, 'am I going to be the same?' I'd had two bad breaks in my hands. Anthony Cacace celebrates his victory over Joe Cordina (Image:) "It was frustrating because I had another long time out the ring. Then I had to have another operation, which is not cheap. Then I had to see my title get stripped from me, with two other guys fighting for it. "So when I said all that, I think I was half-kicking up a fuss. I just thought 'why am I getting stripped when I should be champion in recess?' "They should have had an interim title and go from there, but it worked out in the end. I got the shot back straight away and back in Cardiff, and I just took that from him again." A lot has unfolded since then, and Cordina appears to have matured since that episode. He is, by his own admission, much wiser to some of the perceived dark arts he feels continue to define his line of work. "I've seen all the different scenarios now in boxing," he added. "I've seen how people act towards certain people, and I've seen pretty much everything in the game now. "I'll be honest, that's why I'm managing myself, because I know how the game works. I've seen all the dogs in the game and how they move, and I know when to stay away from them. I can do all this on my own. "When you've got a promoter like Eddie Hearn, you can liaise with him and do the job you're otherwise paying a certain manager to do. "You can talk sensibly to him and you're not getting fed third-hand information. Then you're going to be in a much better place. I just believe I'm much more experienced in this game. Much wiser and I can do the same job as all these managers, especially for myself. I know what's best for me. "There's been dogs in boxing for many years," he adds without naming names. "It's one of the most corrupt sports, but at the same time you've got a lot of good people in boxing as well. "For instance, people think me and Eddie have had cross words. We've bumped heads, but everything he's said he's going to do he's done, and he's given me the opportunity to win world titles back in my home town." Relations have clearly been patched up now, but there was undeniably a fair amount tension at one point between Cordina and Hearn's promotor Matchroom Boxing. So much so, Cordina briefly became a free agent, with the former Olympian complaining about the lack of communication from Hearn and Co around possible future fights shortly after the Stevenson bout fell through. But after a brief phone call, the two parties reunited once again. "A couple of months back, I gave Eddie a bell, and he asked me to come to the press conference for Johnny Fisher v Dave Allen fight," he added. "I went down and we had a chat. Straight away, I was promised fights left right and centre from October. "When I saw him, he was like 'I don't know why you haven't come to see me sooner'. It was like I'd never left. He shook my hand and a couple of days later, everything started to get sent through. "I'm just glad to be back with Matchroom. I started with Matchroom and that's the way I want to finish. I was comfortable with everyone in Matchroom. "It was a bit of an eye-opener when I had a chat with him and it's water under the bridge now. It's done. "Now I'm in the driving seat and in my car, and I know what turning to take on every road." Cordina, a huge Cardiff City fan, has previously made no secret of the fact he would like to fight at Cardiff City Stadium one day, while the Arms Park and Cardiff Castle are among the other dream venues on his radar. Joe Cordina (left) is back with Eddie Hearn (centre) and Matchroom Boxing (Image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images ) But it's the pursuit of titles rather than stadiums that's continues to capture his imagination. Should he reach the top of the lightweight division Cordina would become the first two-weight world champion since Joe Calzaghe, which isn't a bad incentive for the coming year or so. Saturday night is the first step to realising those unfulfilled dreams, although he admits he doesn't know an awful lot about his opponent this weekend. "There's not much to even watch of him. I can't find one video of him or nothing," he admits. "He's got the same record as me with 17-1. He's got 13 knockouts, a lot more knockouts than me. Article continues below "But at the same time, if I want to be world champion again, I've got to beat him, and I've got to look good beating him. "I've trained hard, I've done everything that's been asked of me. But now I've got to go out there on Saturday and get the job done."
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Saturday's briefing: Saying goodbye to Diogo Jota and England start Euros
On the pitch, England and Wales both launch their Euro 2025 campaigns in Switzerland with the defending champions in action after Rhian Wilkinson's finals first-timers. Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is facing a court appearance after being charged with five counts of rape. The funeral of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva will take place in Portugal on Saturday morning. Mourners will gather to pay their respects to the two men at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar at 10am a day after a wake was held at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao. Jota, 28, and his 26-year-old brother died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Their deaths prompted an outpouring of sympathy for Jota's wife Rute, who he married less than two weeks ago, their three children and the wider family from the football world and beyond. England captain Leah Williamson revealed she finally felt free to let go of 'anxiety' on the eve of the Lionesses' European Championship opener against France in Zurich. The Arsenal defender, who famously lifted the trophy in 2022, was forced to miss England's first run to a Women's World Cup final two summers ago in Australia after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. 'I've probably held some anxiety, I suppose, up until this moment,' said Williamson, when asked if missing the World Cup and her recovery had given her a new appreciation for this opportunity. 'I wanted to experience another tournament for England, and being away from home is special. It's a bit different to England in 2022, so I'm just taking everything in. I'm very excited. Obviously so much has changed, so I'm intrigued to come back and enjoy that tournament football.' Rhian Wilkinson is confident Wales are ready for their 'watershed moment' on a first major tournament stage at Euro 2025. While few expect Wales, who kick off their campaign against the Netherlands in Lucerne on Saturday evening as the lowest ranked team in the competition, to progress from a daunting group which also includes England and France, Wilkinson believes the game has changed in the country forever. Speaking at her pre-match press conference, she said: 'This is a wonderful team, great people, fantastic footballers, and we're going to be tested against some of the best in the world. 'That's what we've been wanting. To showcase Wales as a country, this team and their talent.' Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with raping two women. The Metropolitan Police said the Ghana international, whose contract at the Emirates Stadium expired on June 30, faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following alleged offences between 2021 and 2022. Partey's lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said he 'denies all the charges against him', adding: 'He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.' The player, who is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5, is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts of rape against another. The sexual assault allegation relates to a third woman, police added. European champions England launch their defence with a tough Group D opener against France in Zurich. Debutants and group rivals Wales also get under way when they face the Netherlands in Lucerne looking to gain a foothold in the competition. At the Club World Cup, Champions League winners Paris St Germain go head-to-head with Bayern Munich in Atlanta with a semi-final against either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who meet at the MetLife Stadium, at stake.
