Young JAPAN XV Side Fall to Australia A in Osaka
The JAPAN XV suffered a heavy 7-71 loss to Australia A in Osaka on Saturday in their non-capped, Asahi Super Dry CHALLENGE MATCH 2025. Facing an Australian side featuring nine Wallabies, the young Japanese team struggled to impose themselves on the match as the men in green and gold stamped their authority across the field and on the scoreboard.
While it wasn’t for lack of effort or spirit, with the JAPAN XV fighting valiantly until the final whistle, they were primarily let down by their faltering lineout, with the Australian tall timber poaching Japanese ball at leisure. Aussie dominance at scrum time also contributed to the hosts failing to establish any viable platform from which to mount their attack.
In a more positive note, debutant Captain, Akito Okui was one of Japan’s best. The young number seven never stopped trying throughout the match, urging his young charges forward and leading from the front. The Japanese coaching team will have also been delighted with the contribution from Halatoa Vailea on the left wing. Using his size and speed to great effect, he made his presence felt both in attack and defense in a standout performance, albeit in a losing side.
Young-gun fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki who plays his club rugby with Waseda University also had a strong match, scoring Japan’s only try with a scintillating piece of solo brilliance. Receiving the ball just over the halfway line, he skipped and jinked through the Australian defense before motoring away untouched to the try line.
While his return to the national team set-up was mostly encouraging, he blighted his copybook early in the second half with a yellow card for tackling off the ball. Taking place in a breakout play where the Australian player had a clear run to the tryline, Yazaki’s actions were deemed by the referee to be cynical and therefore worthy of a ten-minute spell on the sidelines.
Commenting after the match, Brave Blossom’s Assistant Coach, and Acting Head Coach for the Australia A fixture Neal Hatley said:
“It was a tough day, with a lot of young men playing their first time for Japan. We’ve got to look at what we did in transition, particularly in the first half where we conceded too many tries off transition. We need to look at how we can look after the ball better, and when we do lose the ball, how we fill the field and move into better defensive positions. We spoke at half time about fixing our transition defence and putting more speed off the line in defence, working harder off the ball and defensively about what we do in transition.”
Asked about the JAPAN XV’s upcoming away match this Friday against Hong Kong China, Hatley added:
“We will sit down with Eddie and have a look at the squad and decide what we do moving forward, with the bulk of the team coming from tonight’s side. The good thing about rugby is that you get another chance, so next week there is a great opportunity for these young men to travel to Hong Kong and put in a good performance.”
The JAPAN XV will now regroup before departing for their match against the Hong Kong China Men’s XV at Kai Tak Stadium on Friday, October 24. Kicking off at 19:00 local time, 20:00 JST, the match will be the second fixture played between the JAPAN XV and a Hong Kong China side this year following their training match in Beppu City in May which Japan won 64-12. With Hong Kong China having qualified for their first ever Rugby World Cup in 2027 and playing in front of their home fans, they will no doubt be looking to take the fight right to their visitors.
Meanwhile the Brave Blossoms will host the Wallabies in a test match next weekend at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Saturday, October 25. Kicking off at 14:50 JST, tickets are still available via the JRFU’s English-language ticketing website at: https://quick.pia.jp/japan-rugby_en/.
Following their match in Tokyo, the Brave Blossoms will depart for their Autumn four-week tour to Europe with consecutive test matches against South Africa, Ireland, Wales and Georgia.
Japan National Team Match Schedule
Saturday 18 October
JAPAN XV vs Australia A (Uncapped)
7-71(L)
Asahi Super Dry CHALLENGE MATCH 2025
YODOKO Sakura Stadium, Osaka
Friday 24 October
Hong Kong China vs JAPAN XV (Uncapped)
Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong
Saturday 25 October
Japan vs Australia
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
National Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday 1 November
Japan vs South Africa
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
London
Saturday 8 November
Ireland vs Japan
Autumn Nations Series
Dublin
Saturday 15 November
Wales vs Japan
Autumn Nations Series
Cardiff
Saturday 22 November
Georgia vs Japan
Tbilisi