Japan vs Wales Preview & Prediction | 2025 Mid-Year Internationals
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Wales are on the verge of a 19th straight defeat as they prepare to face Japan once more, this time in Kobe.
Start date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – BBC / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer & the BBC Sport website / US – Cannot be streamed
Japan team news
Squad: Ichigo Nakakusu; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Halatoa Vailea; Seungsin Lee, Naito Sato; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Keijiro Tamefusa, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (capt), Jack Cornelsen, Faulua Makisi
Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Shuhei Takeuchi, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shinobu Fujiwara, Sam Greene, Kazema Ueda
Wales team news
Squad: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles
Japan vs Wales prediction
Wales face Japan a week on from losing 24-19 to them in Kitakyushu in a match that they led 19-7 with just 20 minutes remaining.
Ultimately though, it was yet another defeat for a sorry Wales side, their 18th in a row, and another here would set a new record for losing streaks among tier one nations.
Wales have now slipped to 14th in the world , which represents a new low, while Japan will be aiming to record back-to-back victories over a tier one nation for the first time in their history.
Set to be played under the roof in Kobe, conditions are expected to be very humid and that is likely to favour the hosts once more.
An unwanted record could come the way of Wales on Saturday with Japan tipped to back-up last week’s victory.
Japan vs Wales tip: Japan to win
