Kiss era begins with a win as Wallabies survive Japan's heat and their own mistakes
Australia beat Japan 35-32 in Osaka on Saturday 8 August 2026, giving new head coach Les Kiss a victory in his first Test in charge — and ending a seven-match losing streak that had dragged the Wallabies to eighth in the world rankings (The Guardian).
The margin was three points. The temperature at Hanazono Rugby Stadium was 32 degrees Celsius at kick-off, a day after forecasts had tipped 36C (The Guardian). Japan, coached by Eddie Jones — the man who walked out on the Wallabies after the 2023 World Cup — pushed Australia to the final whistle.
Kiss, 61, took over a side in deep trouble. Under his predecessor Joe Schmidt, Australia had lost all four Tests on their 2025 European tour, their first winless northern hemisphere trip in 67 years. In 2026, home defeats to Ireland and France followed, both after promising starts were squandered. The Wallabies had led at half-time in each of those three Tests and did so again in Osaka (The Guardian).
The pattern held. Australia led at the break but could not pull clear, partly because fly-half Declan Meredith, selected after steady performances against France and Italy, made a series of errors in the pivotal playmaking role (The Guardian). Things got harder when Miles Amatosero received a red card in the first half, leaving the Wallabies a man short for much of the contest.
Japan, who had lost 19-15 to Australia in Tokyo in October 2025, sensed an upset. The Brave Blossoms had fallen to Fiji in July's Pacific Nations Cup final but came within a converted try of a famous result against a team they had never beaten in eight attempts (Rugby Australia).
For Kiss, the relief will be tempered by the problems that remain. Carter Gordon, his playmaker at the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, was expected to return for the rematch in Townsville the following week — a clear signal that the fly-half position is far from settled.
This was also Australia's first outing in the Nations Championship, a new tournament pitting northern and southern hemisphere sides against each other across six rounds, which debuted in July 2026 (World Rugby).
For Australian rugby fans, the result matters more than the performance. A losing streak of seven is over. Kiss has his first win. But with Japan 32 points on the board, a red card, a misfiring fly-half and a world ranking of eighth, the mountain the new coach faces is steep — and Townsville next Saturday will tell us whether this was a turning point or merely a breather.
