Latest news with #JoshMacleod
6 days ago
- Sport
Wales finally tastes victory after 19 tests and 644 days
KOBE, Japan -- Wales' misery is over. Wales finally won a rugby test and snapped an 18-match international losing streak when it held off Japan 31-22 on Saturday. The Welsh looked like they were going to blow it again when their 24-10 lead was cut to 24-22 by Japan with 17 minutes remaining. But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee. The nine-point margin and sterling defense in sweltering heat were finally enough to get Wales to fulltime, when it celebrated with hugs and cheers. 'We knew it was 18 successive defeats but this is a young group and there's a lot more to come from us,' Edwards told S4C channel. 'It was amazing to score. I was just glad to catch the ball!. I'm just so glad we won.' He and many of the team had never tasted victory for Wales. Wales had gone 644 days since its last win in October 2023 against Georgia in the Rugby World Cup. It's 18-match losing run left it tied with France's losing streak from 1911-20 as the longest by a major team in test rugby history. Wales had to endure brutal conditions again. The afternoon match was played in high humidity in an enclosed stadium which required regular water breaks and an extended 20-minute halftime break. Winger Josh Adams was a standout for Wales, scoring the opening try and setting up the second of a first-half double for scrumhalf Kieran Hardy before being replaced at halftime. Hardy scored in the 27th minute and again in the 35th, while Japan No. 8 Faulua Makisi was in the sin-bin, as Wales opened a 21-3 lead. But with Makisi back and a new front row on, Japan struck just before halftime with a try to replacement tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi. A 40-meter Edwards penalty after the break made it 24-10 then Japan came roaring back. Lock Warner Dearns scored at the end of a long attack started by his chargedown, and center Dylan Riley scooped a dropped overhead catch by Edwards and ran from halfway to score between the posts. Wales looked like it was wilting as it did last week in the first test in Kitakyushu, when it blew a 19-7 lead and lost 24-19. The Wales 6-2 bench was even exposed when an injured center had to be replaced with a scrumhalf who was posted on the wing. But Macleod's turnover started a last resurgence and the Welsh prevailed. They looked spent and clung to each other in celebration.
Canberra Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Canberra Times
Test torment over for Wales with Brave Blossoms win
But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time Test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Test torment over for Wales with Brave Blossoms win
Wales have finally won a rugby Test and snapped an 18-match international losing streak, holding off Japan 31-22. The Welsh looked like they were going to blow it again when their 24-10 lead was cut to 24-22 by Japan with 17 minutes remaining on Saturday. But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time Test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee. The nine-point margin and sterling defence in sweltering heat were finally enough to get Wales to fulltime. "We knew it was 18 successive defeats but this is a young group and there's a lot more to come from us," Edwards told S4C channel. "It was amazing to score. I was just glad to catch the ball!. I'm just so glad we won." Wales had gone 644 days since their last win in October 2023 against Georgia at the Rugby World Cup. Their losing run left them tied with France's losing streak from 1911-20 as the longest by a major team in Test rugby history. Winger Josh Adams was a standout for Wales, scoring the opening try and setting up the second of a first-half double for scrumhalf Kieran Hardy before being replaced at halftime. Hardy scored in the 27th minute and again in the 35th, while Japan No.8 Faulua Makisi was in the sin bin, as Wales opened a 21-3 lead. But with Makisi back and a new front row on, Japan struck just before halftime with a try to replacement tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi. A 40m Edwards penalty after the break made it 24-10 then Japan came roaring back. Lock Warner Dearns scored at the end of a long attack started by his chargedown, and centre Dylan Riley scooped a dropped overhead catch by Edwards and ran from halfway to score between the posts. But Macleod's turnover started a last resurgence and the Welsh prevailed. They looked spent and clung to each other in celebration.
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Wales finally tastes victory after 19 tests and 644 days
Associated Press KOBE, Japan (AP) — Wales' misery is over. Wales finally won a rugby test and snapped an 18-match international losing streak when it held off Japan 31-22 on Saturday. The Welsh looked like they were going to blow it again when their 24-10 lead was cut to 24-22 by Japan with 17 minutes remaining. But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee. The nine-point margin and sterling defense in sweltering heat were finally enough to get Wales to fulltime, when it celebrated with hugs and cheers. 'We knew it was 18 successive defeats but this is a young group and there's a lot more to come from us,' Edwards told S4C channel. 'It was amazing to score. I was just glad to catch the ball!. I'm just so glad we won.' He and many of the team had never tasted victory for Wales. Wales had gone 644 days since its last win in October 2023 against Georgia in the Rugby World Cup. It's 18-match losing run left it tied with France's losing streak from 1911-20 as the longest by a major team in test rugby history. Wales had to endure brutal conditions again. The afternoon match was played in high humidity in an enclosed stadium which required regular water breaks and an extended 20-minute halftime break. Winger Josh Adams was a standout for Wales, scoring the opening try and setting up the second of a first-half double for scrumhalf Kieran Hardy before being replaced at halftime. Hardy scored in the 27th minute and again in the 35th, while Japan No. 8 Faulua Makisi was in the sin-bin, as Wales opened a 21-3 lead. But with Makisi back and a new front row on, Japan struck just before halftime with a try to replacement tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi. A 40-meter Edwards penalty after the break made it 24-10 then Japan came roaring back. Lock Warner Dearns scored at the end of a long attack started by his chargedown, and center Dylan Riley scooped a dropped overhead catch by Edwards and ran from halfway to score between the posts. Wales looked like it was wilting as it did last week in the first test in Kitakyushu, when it blew a 19-7 lead and lost 24-19. The Wales 6-2 bench was even exposed when an injured center had to be replaced with a scrumhalf who was posted on the wing. But Macleod's turnover started a last resurgence and the Welsh prevailed. They looked spent and clung to each other in celebration. ___ AP rugby: in this topic
Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Wales end the humiliation with first win in 18 games and 644 days
Please read this very carefully if you will: Wales have won a rugby match. This is not a drill. This, finally, puts an end to an excruciating 644-day wait since October 2023, with 18 consecutive defeats building remorselessly and devastatingly over that time. But it is over. Of course, it was not without its drama and nervousness as both teams battled the challenging conditions under the roof in the Noveir Stadium in Kobe, with handling errors to the fore and quality at a premium. And Wales, as they had done last weekend, nearly blew a hefty lead simply through a combination of fatigue and lack of confidence, but they prevailed because of a stunning performance from openside flanker Josh Macleod, more than justifying his inclusion ahead of Tommy Reffell, as well as significant contributions from the likes of No 8 Aaron Wainwright, wing Josh Adams and full back Blair Murray. Japan were as mediocre as they had been in the first Test as were Wales, who cannot exactly claim to have been ravaged by British & Irish Lions call-ups, and the delight at the final whistle showed how far this rugby nation has fallen, but at least it is a start. Appointing a permanent head coach may be a wise next step now. It was against the run of play after an Alex Mann turnover that Wales had scored first after just eight minutes through Adams, who benefited from smart play by centre Ben Thomas and typically lively support running from Murray. Japan so nearly scored from captain Michael Leitch after a fine break from full back Ichigo Nakakusu but Macleod made his first eye-catching intervention, a superb try-saving tackle, and immediately at the other end Adams should have scored a second after Wainwright's kick through but spilt the ball. It would not have counted, though, as Macleod, harshly in my view, was deemed to have made an illegal tackle in the build-up. From the resulting penalty Seungsin Lee kicked Japan's first points of the day, but Wales responded strongly, going to the corner three times, with scrum half Kieran Hardy going over from the third driving maul after a powerful carry from Dewi Lake. Dan Edwards converted to make it 14-3 and, what's more, Japan No 8 Faulua Makisi was sin-binned too. Wales made that count with a third try and a second for Hardy, who supported Adams on the inside after the wing had made an arcing break off his left foot, having been put clear by Murray. Edwards converted and it was 21-3, with the Japan scrummage conceding so many penalties that head coach Eddie Jones responded as only he can: by hauling off his entire front row before the break. In fairness it brought immediate dividends as replacement tighthead prop Shuhei Takeuchi won a scrum penalty, and Japan kicked to the corner, from where Edwards was targeted again in defence as he had been so often previously, and, when Takeuchi was tackled by Mann, he placed the ball on the ground, got up and went over. It was sloppy from Wales, but, with Lee converting, it was 21-10 at half-time. Ospreys wing Keelan Giles came on for his belated Test debut in place of Adams, nine years after first being in a senior squad, but it was Japan who started the second half much brighter, playing the game at a pace that was stretching Wales, just as it had in the first Test. But Wales were a little more on their mettle this time and, when Macleod won a turnover penalty, Edwards stepped up to land a difficult penalty to make it 24-10. Japan were making an awful lot of handling errors but they eventually found some accuracy after a Hardy kick had been charged down, going through the phases before lock Warner Deans, who had made that charge down, scored. Lee missed the conversion, but was it going to happen again? Were Wales going to crumble again? Well, immediately Hardy made a poor pass to his half-back partner Edwards, who dropped it, and Japan centre Dylan Riley pounced and ran away unhindered to score. Lee made sure with the easy conversion this time. It was 24-22. It was squeaky bum time for Wales. With ten minutes remaining a penalty call could have gone either way, but it went in favour of the brilliant Macleod to give Wales some respite. Reuben Morgan-Williams, another Osprey making a long-awaited debut, initially arrived on the wing but, moving to his usual scrum-half position, he added some much-needed impetus, and when replacement back-rower Taine Plumtree threw an outrageous back-handed pass in midfield that allowed Edwards to slip over for Wales' fourth try. He converted it too and it was 31-22. It was done. Captain Lake, by now on the bench, put his head in his hands in relief, and when Morgan-Williams booted the ball out to end the pain, head coach Matt Sherratt looked as if he was about to burst into tears. Scorers: Wales: Tries Adams (8min), Hardy (28, 36), Edwards 74). Cons Edwards (4). Pen Edwards (48). Japan: Tries Takeuchi (40), Deans (59), Riley (61). Cons Lee (2). Pen Lee (23). Wales B Murray; T Rogers, J Williams (R Morgan-Williams 64) , B Thomas, J Adams (K Giles 40); D Edwards, K Hardy; N Smith (G Thomas 43), D Lake (L Belcher 60), A Griffin (C Coleman 60), F Thomas (J Ratti 66), T Williams, A Mann (T Plumtree 48), J Macleod (T Reffell 75), A Wainwright.
