Wales fought off a spirited Japan display to secure a 28-21 Nations Championship victory at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday 7 November. Josh Adams scored two tries, with Archie Griffin and Louis Rees-Zammit also crossing, as Wales claimed a bonus-point win, their second from four games in the competition.

A flying start in Cardiff

Bristol winger Rees-Zammit had the crowd on their feet with a 35-metre break in the first minute, and Wales built from good field position as prop Griffin crashed over for his first Test try, converted by Sam Costelow. Japan hit back through flanker Ben Gunter, and Adams crossed for the first of his two tries, only for lock Warner Dearns to reply for the visitors. Rees-Zammit then took Blair Murray’s pass on the touchline and stepped off his right foot to shrug off three defenders, scoring just before half-time for his first Test try in eight internationals. Wales led 21-14 at the break, although it needed a goal-line intervention from Nicky Smith to deny Japan right on half-time. Costelow kicked three conversions, with replacement Dan Edwards adding one more.

Adams settles it late

Japan refused to go away, and Kenta Fukuda broke through five minutes from time to set up an anxious finish. But Adams settled the home crowd when he finished off a move started by a Murray counter-attack and fed by scrum-half Tomos Williams, his second try of the match and his 25th for Wales, giving the home side precious breathing space. Adams then won the decisive turnover as Japan pressed for a converted try that would have snatched a draw. It was only the fourth win in Steve Tandy’s 13 Tests as Wales head coach, and two of those wins have come against Japan. Wales remain fifth in the northern hemisphere section of the Nations Championship, and the fixture list now gets considerably tougher, with New Zealand and Australia due in Cardiff over the next fortnight.

Rees-Zammit back on the wing

Rees-Zammit was named player of the match after a superb all-round performance in his preferred wing position, gaining more than 100 metres, beating 14 defenders and setting up Adams’s first try. He said afterwards that it “means everything” to perform in a Wales jersey. The winger was used as a full-back by Wales last season but revelled in the wide spaces of the Principality Stadium again, and his try ended a run of eight internationals without one. Captain Dewi Lake was blunt about the performance despite the win, saying there were long stretches in which Wales had let themselves down. Head coach Steve Tandy warned Wales must improve before facing New Zealand, who are on a 34-game winning streak against Wales, and Australia. Japan head coach Eddie Jones, whose side remain fifth in the southern hemisphere table, said his team could have won a famous draw in Cardiff. Sources: ESPN and RugbyPass.