Wales head to Japan seeking an end to painful run

On Wednesday, Wales made the trip to Japan, hoping to end their painful run of humiliating international defeats.

Wales will face Eddie Jones’ Japan side in Kitakyushu on Saturday, July 5, with the second Test taking place in Kobe a week later.

Wales lost their 17th successive Test defeat to England in March, 68-14, which is a record for a tier one nation.

Wales has fallen to the lowest position in the world, ranking 12th overall, with Japan just one place further down the miserable stretch.

The traveling party includes six uncapped players, with hooker Dewi Lake serving as captain.

In addition to Gloucester scrum-half Tomos Williams and flanker Jac Morgan, who is with the British and Irish Lions in Australia, Lake leads the 33-man squad.

The latest additions to Japan include Scarlets back Macs Page, Cardiff captain Liam Belcher, and Dragons prop Chris Coleman, Garyn Phillips, Keelan Giles, and Reuben Morgan-Williams.

After missing the Six Nations with an injury, Dragons second row Ben Carter, Scarlets flyhalf Sam Costelow, and Bath tight-head prop Archie Griffin have all been called back, along with Kieran Hardy, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, James Ratti, Johnny Williams, and Cameron Winnett.

Taulupe Faletau, the player who defeated the squad that won the 2019 World Cup in Japan, along with Josh Adams, Nicky Smith, Aaron Wainwright, and Elliot Dee, will provide experience.

Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Will Rowlands, Henry Thomas, Ellis Mee, Gareth Anscombe, Max Llewellyn, Nick Tompkins, James Botham, Evan Lloyd, and Morgan Morse are among the notable absentees who have been injured, rested, and not selected.

Forwards: Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Garyn Phillips, Keiron Assiratti, Chris Coleman, Keiron Assiratti, Chris Coleman, Archie Griffin, Liam Belcher, Elliot Dee, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Freddie Thomas, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Aaron Wainwright, Alex Mann, Taulupe Faletau, Tommy Reffell, Josh Macleod.

Sherratt was appointed as the caretaker of Japan after being asked to take charge of the tournament’s final three games.

Gethin Jenkins, the Cardiff defense coach for Sherratt, the Harlequins duo Danny Wilson and Adam Jones for the backroom, and Gloucester’s Rhys Thomas as the assistant forwards coach.

Wilson and Jenkins are just two weeks apart before their clubs return, and former full-back Leigh Halfpenny has taken on what the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) calls a skills coaching position.

This includes Neil Jenkins’ nearly 20-year-long commitment to kick with the senior squad.

Since their first meeting in 1973, Wales have won 13 of their 14 matches against Japan.

Australia’s mastermind, Australian Jones, who is now back in charge of the Cherry Blossoms, led Japan to its sole victory in Tokyo in 2013.

In the wake of the 2023 World Cup, Jones led an Australia side that was dumped out in the group stages. He then made his comeback to Japan.

Their mediocre performance at that tournament included a 40-6 defeat of Gatland’s Wales in Lyon.

Since Jones’ re-appointment, Japan has won four games and lost seven, and they were beaten by New Zealand, France, and England last year by at least 40 points.

A Maori All Blacks side from New Zealand will take on them on Saturday, June 28 in Tokyo, after they haven’t played a game since November 2024.

Jingo Takenoshita, a university student, was one of 16 uncapped players in Jones’ 37-man training squad.

Only one player, Michael Leitch, a Brave Blossoms veteran with 87 caps, was selected for the training camp, making him likely to be well-known to Welsh fans.

Non-capped Tests

Wales 62-14 Japan, Cardiff, 6 October 1973

Japan 12-56 Wales, Osaka, 21 September 1975

Japan 6-82 Wales, Tokyo, 24 September 1975

Wales 29-24 Japan, Cardiff, 22 October 1983.

full exams

Wales 55-5 Japan, Cardiff, 16 October 1993

Wales 57-10 Japan, Bloemfontein, 27 May 1995

Wales 64-15 Japan, Cardiff, 9 October1999

Japan 10-64 Wales, Osaka, 10 June 2001

Japan 30-53 Wales, Tokyo, 17 June 2001

Wales 98-0 Japan, Cardiff, 26 November 2004

Wales 72-18 Japan, Cardiff, 20 September 2007

Japan 18-22 Wales, Osaka, 8 June 2013

Japan 23-8 Wales, Tokyo, 15 June 2013