In a nail-biting encounter, Australia managed to secure a hard-fought 35-32 win over Japan, despite being down a player after Miles Amatosero's first-half red card. The Wallabies, under the guidance of new head coach Les Kiss, showed remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, battling both the sweltering heat and a determined Japanese team to emerge victorious.
Kiss reflected on the match, stating, "It was a tough outing, not just because of the conditions, but also because Japan is a formidable team that plays with speed and aggression on their home turf." He added, "Although we may have given them too many opportunities, the fact remains that we've achieved a Test win, and I commend the team for their efforts." Kiss, who took the reins from Joe Schmidt last month, had a challenging start, with Australia having won only one out of their three initial Nations Championship matches. For the two-Test series against Japan, Kiss opted for a relatively experienced lineup, with the exception of uncapped centre Isaac Henry, while also recalling Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and omitting veteran James Slipper. The game took a dramatic turn when Amatosero was given a red card in the 32nd minute for a dangerous clean-out on Warner Dearns, initially receiving a yellow card that was later upgraded to red just before halftime, with the teams level at 14-14.
The second half saw Australia gain momentum with tries from Max Jorgensen and Fraser McReight, but Japan remained in contention, gradually narrowing the gap with two penalties from Takuro Matsunaga. The quality of Australia's bench proved pivotal, enabling the visitors to maintain pressure on Japan, culminating in Taniela Tupou's decisive try that gave them a 10-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Japan captain Dearns orchestrated a thrilling finale, reducing the deficit to three points, but ultimately, Australia held on for the win.
Japan's coach, Eddie Jones, expressed his disappointment, stating, "We let ourselves down with fundamental errors in the last 20 minutes when we had the chance to possibly overcome Australia, but I'm proud of the players' tenacity and the team's development."