Wales Break 18-match Losing Run With Japan Win

Summer circuit 2nd Test

Japan (10) 23

Tries: Takeuch, Deans, Riley, Cons: Lee 2 Pens: Lee

Wales (21) 31

Tries: Adams, Hardy 2, Edwards Cons: Edwards 4 Pens: Edwards

Wales held connected for a first world triumph successful 644 days arsenic they ended their 18-match Test losing tally by defeating Japan successful Kobe.

The visitors levelled nan bid 1-1 arsenic they withheld a spirited second-half Japan comeback successful nan power and humidity nether nan closed tile astatine nan Noevir Stadium.

Wales had built up a 21-3 lead acknowledgment to 2 tries from scrum-half Kieran Hardy and a Josh Adams score.

But conscionable arsenic they did successful their triumph successful Kitakyushu past weekend, Eddie Jones' broadside rallied pinch tries from prop Shuhei Takeuchi, fastener Warner Deans and centre Dylan Riley bringing nan hosts to wrong 2 points.

But a precocious Edwards try, which gave nan Ospreys fly-half a 16-point haul successful his first Wales start, sealed nan triumph and gave nan visitors immoderate joyousness for nan first clip successful 21 months.

Wales antecedently recorded an world triumph erstwhile they defeated Georgia successful nan World Cup successful Nantes successful October 2023.

It was a invited triumph successful nan 5th and last crippled successful complaint for interim caput coach Matt Sherratt who trim an affectional fig aft nan last whistle.

Cardiff caput coach Sherratt had taken complete from Warren Gatland during nan Six Nations successful February.

Gatland's imperishable successor will beryllium unveiled by nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) successful nan adjacent mates of weeks and will not now beryllium burdened by nan losing streak.

More to follow.

Japan: Ichigo Nakakusu; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Halatoa Vailea; Seungsin Lee, Naito Sato; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Keijiro Tamefusa, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Faulua Makisi.

Sin-bin: Makisi 28

Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Shuhei Takeuchi, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shinobu Fujiwara, Sam Greene, Kazema Ueda.

Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles.

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Damian Schneider (UAR)

Television Match Official (TMO): Glenn Newman (NZR).