Wales finally ended a run of 18 straight defeats with a hard-fought 31-22 victory over Japan in Kobe, marking their first win since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
After storming to a 21-3 first-half lead with tries from Josh Adams and a brace by Kieran Hardy, the Welsh had to hold off a fierce Japanese comeback, which saw tries from Shuhei Takeuchi, Warner Dearns, and Dylan Riley narrow the gap to two points.
Despite past second-half collapses, Matt Sherratt’s side held their nerve, and Dan Edwards’ late try secured a much-needed morale boost for Welsh rugby.
