Seven days after a narrow win in Osaka, Australia settled the matter after the break. A 35-0 second half turned a tight contest into a rout.
Seven days after scraping out of Osaka by a whisker (35-32), Australia went again in Townsville, and this time without a nervous finish. But the match only turned after half-time.
Japan led 17-14
Josh Nasser opened the scoring in the 7th minute at the end of a team move. Five minutes later, Australian-born lock Harry Hockings charged down a Ryan Lonergan clearance and touched down for his first international try. Taniela Tupou put the Wallabies back in front, Naoto Saito replied after a quickly taken penalty, then Dylan Riley gave Japan a 17-14 lead in the closing minutes of the first half.
Tupou’s second try, just before the hooter, turned the game. After that, the Wallabies scored 42 unanswered points.
Six tries from the front row
What stands out about this 56-17 is who scored. Six of Australia’s eight tries came from front-row players, only the second time in Wallabies history as far as the starting trio is concerned. Angus Bell finished in the 51st minute, Massimo De Lutiis in the 58th, Charlie Cale in the 75th, Harry Wilson in the 77th and Brandon Paenga-Amosa in the 81st.
De Lutiis, who came off the bench, became the 1000th player capped by Australia, and he scored on debut. The prop had previously turned down approaches from Ireland.
| Scorer | Position | Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Nasser | Hooker | 7th |
| Taniela Tupou | Prop | 17th and 39th |
| Angus Bell | Prop | 51st |
| Massimo De Lutiis | Prop | 58th |
| Charlie Cale | Back row | 75th |
| Harry Wilson | Back row | 77th |
| Brandon Paenga-Amosa | Hooker | 81st |
Seven meetings, seven Australian wins
Our archives list seven meetings between the two national sides since 1987, and Australia have won them all. Saturday’s 56-17 is now the second-widest margin in the series, behind the 91-3 at the 2007 World Cup.
| Date | Fixture | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 15 August 2026 | Australia v Japan | 56-17 |
| 8 August 2026 | Japan v Australia | 32-35 |
| 25 October 2025 | Japan v Australia | 15-19 |
| 23 October 2021 | Japan v Australia | 23-32 |
| 4 November 2017 | Japan v Australia | 30-63 |
| 8 September 2007 | Australia v Japan | 91-3 |
| 2 June 1987 | Australia v Japan | 42-23 |
For Les Kiss, who took over from Joe Schmidt this summer, it is two wins from two matches and a third straight Test win for the Wallabies, something that had not happened since 2024. Next up is a tougher assignment: two Tests in Argentina from the end of the month.
For Japan, it hurts twice over. Eddie Jones watched his side go forty minutes without an answer, and the draw that would have taken the Brave Blossoms back into the world top 10 slipped away. The rankings therefore stay frozen ahead of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, on 22 August at Ellis Park.
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