Tonight's rugby news as Japan star knew 'blowing' Welsh players would break and worrying Australia admission made

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Tonight's rugby news as Japan star knew 'blowing' Welsh players would break and worrying Australia admission made
The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Japan knew Wales would tire, says Brave Blossoms captain Michael Leitch
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Here are your rugby evening headlines for Sunday, July 6.
Japan captain: Wales were 'blowing'
Japan captain Michael Leitch says his side could tell Wales were "blowing" in the second-half of their 24-19 victory in Kitakyushu.
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The first Test of Wales' summer tour of Japan was played in extreme heat and humidity, with cooling breaks in each half as well as an extended 20-minute red card. However, despite that, Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt and his squad refused to blame the conditions after falling to an 18th consecutive Test defeat.
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However, Leitch believes it played its part as Wales remained scoreless in the second-half to throw away a 19-7 lead.
"Japan heat is no joke, I saw their guys out there second half and they were blowing," said Leitch. "We knew if we could keep the tempo up and hold the position, that would get them in the end and it was part of our game plan.
"I was looking at the guys in the red jerseys and they were feeling it more than us and that was good to see on our part."
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He added: "Preparation going into this game was key to our success.
"We trained hard as a team and Eddie Jones gave us a really good training camp."
Afterwards, the 36-year-old back-row said the victory ranked as the best in his illustrious career.
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Leitch has been involved in famous World Cup victories over South Africa in 2015 and Scotland in 2019, but post-match, he ranked this one first.
"It's number one," he said. "When you look at Japan and Wales, we are rebuilding at the same pace and a lot of experienced players have left.
"For such a young team to get a big win against a classy tier one nation like Wales, it gives us a lot of confidence, so we are happy with the result."
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Schmidt: Australia not confident ahead of Lions series
By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Canberra
Joe Schmidt admitted Australia's shaky 21-18 victory over Fiji will have reinforced the British and Irish Lions' status as favourites to win the Test series.
It took a 78th-minute try from back-rower Harry Wilson to save the Wallabies from an embarrassing defeat less than two weeks out from the opener against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.
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Fiji were rampant in the second half in Newcastle and Schmidt insisted that "quiet resolve" rather than outright conviction would be his team's currency during the three Tests against Andy Farrell's tourists.
"We didn't play well enough for people to have the expectation that we're going to come bowling into Brisbane and knock the Lions over. I'm not sure that expectation was there before Fiji," head coach Schmidt said.
"There's not real confidence, but there's a quiet resolve. And that quiet resolve, hopefully over the three-match series, can build to something that will earn us the support of a very interested group.
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"We haven't been together for six months. To have five trainings and to be seamless would be an expectation that I hoped for rather than immediately believed would happen. Now we have another short runway to improve on where we were against Fiji."
Not only did Australia scrape home in a game that saw a Fijian try by Sireli Maqala controversially ruled out, but they also lost fly-half Noah Lolesio with 20 minutes to go after his head hit the ground during a tackle by Elia Canakaivata.
Schmidt is hopeful that Lolesio will only be a short-term absentee after providing a positive update on the 25-year-old playmaker.
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"The first question Noah asked me was 'did we win?'. He was still very much focused on the game and he appeared to be in good shape. That's the most important thing," Schmidt said.
"It was whiplash and his head hit the ground. I'm hopeful that that will be something that resolves itself reasonably quickly. But we won't take any risks that we don't need to."
Jones: Centre options interchangeable
By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Canberra
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Huw Jones insists the British and Irish Lions' centres are fully interchangeable despite the presence of established national combinations as the race for Test selection reaches a critical point.
While a host of Andy Farrell's men played their way out of contention for the series against Australia in an unimpressive 21-10 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs, Jones seized his chance with both hands.
The 31-year-old ran in two tries in Sydney - the first the product of his understanding with Scotland midfield partner Sione Tuipulotu - in the most eye-catching performance from a 12 or 13 so far on tour.
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If the Lions are to blend their best performing centres against the Wallabies in the first Test on July 19, then Bundee Aki and Jones will start.
The conundrum facing Farrell with two matches to go before the Brisbane opener is whether to reward form or opt for the familiarity provided by the ready-made units of Tuipulotu and Jones or Ireland's Aki and Garry Ringrose.
Jones, however, believes after being in camp for three weeks, the quartet have reached a point where they are interchangeable.
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"As a centre group we have been working really hard to get the connections with all of us," the Glasgow Warriors back said.
"For the first try, Sione knows where I'm going to be. We have played loads together and it's all about timing.
"It worked against the Waratahs, but there's no saying it wouldn't have worked with any other player.
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"We have worked as a unit in building those sorts of connections, whatever combination plays in the next couple of games, so hopefully we will see more results like that.
"We bounce loads of ideas off each other in terms of rugby stuff, but socially as well it has been great to get to know the others. They are great guys and that makes it easier.
"If you enjoy each other's company then you're willing to spend the time with each other on and off the field. That goes for the whole squad.
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"It has been a really enjoyable couple of weeks, but once we get on the field we are giving each other all the secrets and trying to help each other out as much as we can."
Jones has scored three tries in as many appearances for the Lions and having joined the tour with a niggling Achilles problem, he is now flying.
"After the Six Nations I was struggling with injury. I got it scanned late on in the season and we managed to then have a bit of an intervention," he said.
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"It definitely feels better now, which is good. I didn't play much since the Six Nations, just two games.
"So over this last week it has been good over to get two 80 minutes in a row and a bit off the bench against the Western Force. I feel like I have shaken off the dust."