Wales losing streak up to 18 tests after losing to Japan in boiling Kitakyushu

KITAKYUSHU, Japan (AP) — Wales lost again.

The longest losing streak by a major test rugby team in the professional era was extended to 18 matches when Wales lost to Japan 24-19 on Saturday.

Wales held its 19-7 halftime lead until the start of the last quarter when Japan hatched tries by uncapped backs Ichigo Hakasusu and Halatoa Vailea — both converted from wide out by Seungsin Lee — and led a scrappy match for the first time from the 70th minute.

Japan deliberately picked a 2 p.m. kickoff in the day’s worst heat and humidity and Wales waned in the second half — it couldn’t score a point — as Japan’s undying intent to play at a high tempo clicked at just the right time.

“We just allowed Japan to play their game in the second half, and they’re tough to stop when they’re playing at speed,” Wales captain Dewi Lake told the BBC.

“Conditions are going to play a factor but we’re not blaming that. We weren’t clinical enough. The weather was a factor but we’ll look at ourselves first.”

Japan beat Wales for only the second time ever; the last was in 2013.

Wales’ nightmare run since the 2023 Rugby World Cup means it will fall behind Japan in the test rankings for the first time since the rankings were introduced two decades ago. They meet again next weekend in Kobe.

Wales made 11 changes from the side which lost to England 68-14 in March in the Six Nations, but its greater experience against a Japan side playing its first test of the year with eight uncapped players — six on the bench — was expected to be tempered by the baking conditions.

But within 30 seconds of kickoff Wales lock Ben Carter took a blow to the head and was taken off on a stretcher. He watched from the stands later.

Carter’s replacement, James Ratti, took the lineout catch which No. 8 Taulupe Faletau peeled from and set up Ben Thomas to score after four minutes.

Japan leveled in style from its own lineout ball. Kippei Ishida came off his right wing and lined up fullback Takuro Matsunaga for a try.

But Matsunaga left during the first drinks break. His debutant replacement, Nakasusu, was sin-binned after only a minute on the field when he illegally slapped the ball away from Josh Adams in the in-goal and conceded a penalty try.

The absence in the backline was expertly exploited by Wales from a scrum on halfway. Faletau charged and a two-on-one finished with Tom Rogers dotting down.

The second and third quarters were stop-start and error-ridden.

Japan’s Amato Vakatawa was held up over the line and Epineri Uluiviti’s try was ruled out by a knock-on in the buildup, while for Wales Faletau’s offload on the tryline was forward.

It didn’t appear as if either team would add to the score and Wales was 20 minutes from ending its nightmare run, but Japan, led by the seemingly immortal Michael Leitch, aged 36 but playing like he’s 26, strung its longest phases together and Hakasusu slipped off Rogers to score.

Lee converted, Japan trailed 19-14, and was galvanized.

Replacement back Ben Gunter had a try disallowed by a forward pass but Lee kicked a penalty to close to 19-17 then Vailea scored the match-winning try after peeling off a lineout maul. And Japan was soon celebrating its first win over a tier one team since 2019.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby