Japan Chase First Win in Cardiff as Wales Meet Again
Eddie Jones wants Japan to become the first Japan side to beat Wales in Cardiff, and he has said so before Saturday's Nations Championship match at the Principality Stadium. The Nations Championship is the autumn competition that pits the sport's top teams against each other in head-to-head matches.
Japan have never won at the Principality Stadium, the Welsh national stadium in the Welsh capital. They have beaten Wales at home twice under Jones, in 2013 and 2025, and the Cardiff game is the fourth meeting between the two sides in 16 months. The most recent of those, in November 2025, ended 24-23 to Wales, decided by a last-gasp penalty from Jarrod Evans. A penalty is a kick at goal awarded after an opposing team breaks the rules, and it was the final act of a tight game.
The two sides have plenty in common this year. Both have beaten Fiji and Italy in 2026. Wales are ranked 10th in the world, two places above Japan, so the gap on paper is small.
There is also a familiar face on the Japan side. Kingsley Jones, a former Wales flanker (one of the forwards who plays on the side of the scrum and is often first to the tackle) and former Dragons coach, has joined Japan's coaching staff for this match. He was also part of Japan's backroom team for the 1-1 series draw with Wales in July 2025.
Japan have also made a change at half-back, the pair who pass the ball from the base of the scrum and ruck. Riku Kitahara makes his debut at fly-half, the player who usually kicks and directs the attack, and he will partner co-captain Naoto Saito. Ryunosuke Ito is not available because of commitments with his university in Japan.
For Wales, head coach Steve Tandy has picked Max Llewellyn and Eddie James in midfield, the central pairing that tends to carry the ball into contact and set up attacks out wide.
What makes this one interesting is how close the last meeting was. A single kick decided it, and both sides arrive with a recent win over the same two opponents. Japan are chasing a first Cardiff victory, and Wales will want to show that a narrow win last year was not a fluke. The result on Saturday will shape how both teams are seen going into the rest of the autumn.
