Wales Snatch Last-Second Victory in Thrilling Battle Against Japan

Wales edged Japan in a breathtaking contest at the Principality Stadium, sealing a dramatic 24 to 23 win that will long be remembered by supporters. The result brought relief for a Welsh side under pressure to rescue their autumn campaign, and the home crowd erupted when the final whistle sounded.

The match burst into life early when Dan Edwards crossed for the opening try, taking advantage of uncertain defending from Japan. That moment appeared to wake the visitors, who suddenly shifted gears. Their response came through Kippei Ishida, finishing a superbly executed team move around the fifteen minute mark.

Japan showed clear improvement in their tactical kicking compared with recent outings, and both teams struggled to maintain discipline as momentum repeatedly stalled due to cards and penalties. Epineri Uluiviti was the first sent to the sin bin after tackling without the ball, and Seungsin Lee missed a chance moments later to give Japan the lead.

The match turned chaotic as Faulua Makisi joined Uluiviti in the bin, leaving Japan briefly down to thirteen players. Wales failed to fully capitalise, and soon after Josh Adams was shown yellow for an illegal clean out. That decision was later upgraded to red during the interval, leaving Wales a player short for the remainder of the match.

Japan controlled territory and tempo early in the second half. Lee finally found his range with a penalty to put the visitors ahead, while Wales struggled to slow Japan’s rapid ruck tempo.

Despite the disadvantage, Wales struck back when Louis Rees Zammit finished a composed attacking sequence to restore the lead. Japan answered quickly with another Lee penalty, before Makisi powered over for his side’s second try following relentless forward pressure. Just when Japan seemed to have taken control, momentum shifted again. Nick Tompkins crossed for Wales almost immediately, and Edwards added the conversion to swing the scoreboard once more in favour of the hosts.

Lee nudged Japan ahead again with a penalty as the tension escalated heading into the final minutes. Wales threw everything into their attack as the clock ticked toward full time. With only seconds remaining, Harry Hockings was shown yellow, offering Wales a final lifeline.

From there, the home pack surged forward with a driving maul that covered nearly twenty metres before earning the decisive penalty. Jarrod Evans stepped forward with time expired and calmly slotted the winning kick to spark celebrations across the stadium.

Japan were left devastated after a brave and determined performance, while Wales savoured their first home victory in two years and a dramatic end to a tense and unpredictable contest.