Japan v Wales - teams and prediction
PREVIEW: Japan coach Eddie Jones said “inexperience can sometimes be a blessing” as he named a young team Thursday to face struggling Wales in the first of two home Tests.
Jones selected two uncapped players to start against the Welsh in southwestern Kitakyushu on Saturday, with another six on the bench.
Wales have lost their last 17 Tests – a record for a Tier One country in the professional era – and Jones wants his young side to take advantage of the hot and humid conditions.
“Inexperience can sometimes be a blessing, particularly in hot conditions,” the former Australia and England boss said ahead of the game, where temperatures are expected to reach 32 Celsius.
“If they get out and play with a lot of energy, a lot of determination, it will be up to the experienced players to steer the ship.”
Among Japan’s new caps will be the diminutive 1.67 metre tall wing Kippei Ishida, who Jones said “can be a Japanese version” of South Africa livewire Cheslin Kolbe.
“He’s similar size, got great feet, great aerial skills, and in training he’s impressed everyone,” Jones said of Ishida, who will start on the right wing.
“It was impossible not to select him.”
Veteran loose forward Michael Leitch captains the team for his 88th cap, with Japan regulars Warner Dearns, Dylan Riley and Seungsin Lee also in the starting line-up.
Jones has had his players in a training camp close to Kitakyushu for the past three weeks and he said they were “ready to go”.
“It’s been 32 degrees every time we’ve trained, the ball’s like a cake of soap, we’ve wet the field so it makes the conditions difficult for the players,” he said.
“We can’t do more heat acclimatisation than we’ve done.”
* (Article continues below ….)
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Hear from head coach Matt Sherratt following todayβs team announcement 👇#WelshRugby | #JPNvWAL pic.twitter.com/427djzfp5m
β Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) July 3, 2025
* Meanwhile, flank Josh Macleod returns for his first Wales appearance this year as interim head coach Matt Sherratt named his team.
Macleod has been absent since the 2024 year-end Tests but he will win his third cap starting in the back row alongside Alex Mann and Taulupe Faletau.
Macleod had to wait until the 2022 clash against Georgia to win his first senior cap, only to then miss the 2023 World Cup with a shoulder injury.
Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell were named on the bench.
Flyhalf Sam Costelow and lock Ben Carter also return to the starting line-up after missing the Six Nations through injury.
Kieran Hardy starts at scrumhalf for his first international appearance of the season.
Centre Johnny Williams returns for his first Wales appearanc since the 2023 World Cup.
Dewi Lake captains the team.
Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams were both selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, although Williams was subsequently ruled out through injury.
Japan and Wales will go head-to-head in the second Test in Kobe next Saturday, on July 12.
Head to head
Prediction
@rugby365com: Japan by five points
Teams
Japan: 15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano, 11 Malo Tuitama, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Amato Fakatava, 7 Jack Cornelsen, 6 Michael Leitch (captain), 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Yota Kamimori.
Replacements: 16 Hayate Era, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Waisake Raratubua, 20 Ben Gunter, 21 Shuntaro Kitamura, 22 Ichigo Nakakusa, 23 Halatoa Vailea.
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 James Ratti, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Tommy Reffell, 22 Rhodri Williams, 23 Joe Roberts.
Date: Saturday, July 5
Venue: Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu
Kick-off: 14.00 (06.00 UK time; 05.00 GMT)
Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
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