JAPAN BEAT ITALY 27-10 to make an impressive start to their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday, with coach Eddie Jones absent through suspension.
Japan fell behind but soon hit back against the Italians, who came into the game off the back of a successful Six Nations where they beat England for the first time.
Jones was barred from the stadium as he served the last game of his four-match suspension from the Japan Rugby Football Union for abusing match officials on a tour of Australia earlier this year.
Forwards coach Neal Hatley took his place and watched his side score two tries in the first half and one after the break in a confident performance in front of more than 20,000 fans.
Captain Warner Dearns, full-back Takuro Matsunaga and flanker Ben Gunter all got on the scoresheet for Japan, who started the match with uncapped university student Ryunosuke Ito at out-half.
The home side looked like they could be in for a long evening when Italy’s Juan Ignacio Brex burst through their defence to touch down for a try in the fifth minute.
But Japan responded just over five minutes later when Dearns lunged over the line for their first try.
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Matsunaga added another midway through the first half when he finished off a slick passing move that sliced the Italian defence open.
An injury for full-back Lorenzo Pani gave the visitors further problems, and Matsunaga slotted a penalty to increase Japan’s lead.
Italy spent the final moments of the first half camped out on the Japan line and kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points heading into the break.
But Japan stretched their lead seven minutes into the second half when Gunter touched down after a period of pressure.
Japan’s Michael Leitch came off the bench to win his 93rd cap and gave a typically tenacious performance to protect his team’s advantage.
Japan travel to Newcastle, Australia, to face Ireland in their next Nations Championship match, before returning to Tokyo to play France.
Italy will take on New Zealand in Wellington next weekend followed by Australia in Perth.
Wales 39
Fiji 24
Elsehwere, Jac Morgan scored two tries as Wales beat Fiji 39-24 in their opening Nations Championship match in Cardiff.
After beating Italy in their final match of the Six Nations, the victory at Cardiff City Stadium gave Wales back-to-back Test wins for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.
It was a hat-trick of victories after Steve Tandy’s team beat the Barbarians at Twickenham last week in a non-cap international.
Wales will now travel to play Argentina and South Africa, while Fiji play two more designated home fixtures against England in Liverpool and Scotland in Edinburgh.
In front of a crowd of 16,456 at the 33,000-capacity Cardiff City Stadium, Fiji dominated the opening exchanges and were rewarded not even three minutes into the game when Pita Gus Sowakula crossed for a try after some slick off-loading.
Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula converted before Wales hit back with a Morgan try from an attacking lineout and drive.
Selestino Ravutaumada knocked on at the tryline as Fiji turned over Wales seven times in the opening 25 minutes.
Fiji were dealt a hammer blow when experienced back Semi Radradra went off injured.
Immediately, Wales struck from the lineout, once again man-of-the-match Morgan driven over from an efficient maul.
Wales had dominance not just from the lineout, but also at scrum time, winning a hatful of penalties against a profligate Fijian frontrow that lost Tim Hoyt to injury.
Armstrong-Ravula booted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to equal the score at 10 points apiece, Dan Edwards having missed both of Wales’ conversions.
The second period started well for Wales.
Rhys Carre powered over for the team’s third try before Josh Adams caught Ravutamada snoozing as the Fijian winger waited for a long ball to go dead.
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Adams didn’t give up his chase and got a hand to the ball before it touched the line to extend Wales’ lead.
Fiji hit back with an attacking maul of their own, No 8 Elia Canakaivata crashing over, Armstrong-Ravula converting to make it 22-17 with 30 minutes to play.
Ravutamada made up for his earlier brainfog by showing a clean pair of heels to run in Fiji’s third try, the conversion making it a one-point game.
As an increasingly error-strewn Fiji side tired, Ryan Elias then went over for Wales’ third try from a lineout maul.
Sam Costelow hit the extras to hand Tandy’s team a two-score advantage with 14 minutes to play.
Eddie James was on hand to put the cherry on the cake with a sixth Welsh try at the death for what was an ultimately comfortable win over a Fiji side whose attacking promise was undone by an ill-performing set-piece and unforced handling errors.
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Japan beat Italy, Morgan leads Wales to win over Fiji
LAST UPDATE | 4 Jul
Japan 27
Italy 10
JAPAN BEAT ITALY 27-10 to make an impressive start to their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday, with coach Eddie Jones absent through suspension.
Japan fell behind but soon hit back against the Italians, who came into the game off the back of a successful Six Nations where they beat England for the first time.
Jones was barred from the stadium as he served the last game of his four-match suspension from the Japan Rugby Football Union for abusing match officials on a tour of Australia earlier this year.
Forwards coach Neal Hatley took his place and watched his side score two tries in the first half and one after the break in a confident performance in front of more than 20,000 fans.
Captain Warner Dearns, full-back Takuro Matsunaga and flanker Ben Gunter all got on the scoresheet for Japan, who started the match with uncapped university student Ryunosuke Ito at out-half.
The home side looked like they could be in for a long evening when Italy’s Juan Ignacio Brex burst through their defence to touch down for a try in the fifth minute.
But Japan responded just over five minutes later when Dearns lunged over the line for their first try.
Matsunaga added another midway through the first half when he finished off a slick passing move that sliced the Italian defence open.
An injury for full-back Lorenzo Pani gave the visitors further problems, and Matsunaga slotted a penalty to increase Japan’s lead.
Italy spent the final moments of the first half camped out on the Japan line and kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points heading into the break.
But Japan stretched their lead seven minutes into the second half when Gunter touched down after a period of pressure.
Japan’s Michael Leitch came off the bench to win his 93rd cap and gave a typically tenacious performance to protect his team’s advantage.
Japan travel to Newcastle, Australia, to face Ireland in their next Nations Championship match, before returning to Tokyo to play France.
Italy will take on New Zealand in Wellington next weekend followed by Australia in Perth.
Wales 39
Fiji 24
Elsehwere, Jac Morgan scored two tries as Wales beat Fiji 39-24 in their opening Nations Championship match in Cardiff.
After beating Italy in their final match of the Six Nations, the victory at Cardiff City Stadium gave Wales back-to-back Test wins for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.
It was a hat-trick of victories after Steve Tandy’s team beat the Barbarians at Twickenham last week in a non-cap international.
Wales will now travel to play Argentina and South Africa, while Fiji play two more designated home fixtures against England in Liverpool and Scotland in Edinburgh.
In front of a crowd of 16,456 at the 33,000-capacity Cardiff City Stadium, Fiji dominated the opening exchanges and were rewarded not even three minutes into the game when Pita Gus Sowakula crossed for a try after some slick off-loading.
Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula converted before Wales hit back with a Morgan try from an attacking lineout and drive.
Selestino Ravutaumada knocked on at the tryline as Fiji turned over Wales seven times in the opening 25 minutes.
Fiji were dealt a hammer blow when experienced back Semi Radradra went off injured.
Immediately, Wales struck from the lineout, once again man-of-the-match Morgan driven over from an efficient maul.
Wales had dominance not just from the lineout, but also at scrum time, winning a hatful of penalties against a profligate Fijian frontrow that lost Tim Hoyt to injury.
Armstrong-Ravula booted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to equal the score at 10 points apiece, Dan Edwards having missed both of Wales’ conversions.
The second period started well for Wales.
Rhys Carre powered over for the team’s third try before Josh Adams caught Ravutamada snoozing as the Fijian winger waited for a long ball to go dead.
Adams didn’t give up his chase and got a hand to the ball before it touched the line to extend Wales’ lead.
Fiji hit back with an attacking maul of their own, No 8 Elia Canakaivata crashing over, Armstrong-Ravula converting to make it 22-17 with 30 minutes to play.
Ravutamada made up for his earlier brainfog by showing a clean pair of heels to run in Fiji’s third try, the conversion making it a one-point game.
As an increasingly error-strewn Fiji side tired, Ryan Elias then went over for Wales’ third try from a lineout maul.
Sam Costelow hit the extras to hand Tandy’s team a two-score advantage with 14 minutes to play.
Eddie James was on hand to put the cherry on the cake with a sixth Welsh try at the death for what was an ultimately comfortable win over a Fiji side whose attacking promise was undone by an ill-performing set-piece and unforced handling errors.
– © AFP 2026
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