(Written by Azul: September 3, 2026)
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, a test match between the Japan national rugby team, the Brave Blossoms, and the Australian national team, the Wallabies, was held at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture.
Since it was an extremely hot day with the daytime high reaching 35 degrees Celsius, the match was held as a night game, kicking off at 7:05 p.m.
Since the venue was in Osaka, I departed from Tokyo Station on the Shinkansen.
I boarded the Nozomi 41 Shinkansen bound for Shin-Osaka, which departed at 2:30 p.m.
My Shinkansen arrived at Shin-Osaka Station on schedule at 5:00 p.m.
From there, I transferred to a local train and arrived at Kintetsu Higashi-Hanazono Station around 5:40 p.m. Even in the evening, the temperature was still over 30 degrees Celsius.
It was about a 10-minute walk from Higashi-Hanazono Station to Hanazono Rugby Stadium, the mecca of rugby in the Kansai region.
The crowd at Hanazono Rugby Stadium that day numbered 21,322, making it nearly a sellout.
It’s rare for Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka to be sold out, which underscores the high level of interest among Japanese rugby fans ahead of next year’s RWC 2027.
Now, let’s take a look at the Japan national rugby team’s record so far this season and their upcoming schedule.
| Japan Rugby Test Match 2026 | ||||
| Date | Opponent | match venue | Result | |
| 1 | 6/27 | Maori All Blacks | Nagoya, Japan | 31-38● |
| 2 | 7/4 | Italy | Tokyo, Japan | 27-10○ |
| 3 | 7/11 | Ireland | New Castle, Australia | 20-36● |
| 4 | 7/18 | France | Tokyo, Japan | 15-42● |
| 5 | 8/8 | Australia | Osaka, Japan | |
| 6 | 8/8 | Australia | Queensland, Australia | |
| 7 | 9/5 | Canada | Niigata, Japan | |
| 8 | 9/12 | USA | Osaka, Japan | |
| 5 | 9/19 | (Pacific Nations Championship) | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 6 | 10/24 | Fiji | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 7 | 11/8 | Wales | Cardiff, Wales | |
| 8 | 11/15 | England | Twickenham, England | |
| 9 | 11/22 | Scotland | Murrayfield, Scotland | |
| 10 | 11/29 | (Nations Championship) | Twickenham, England | |
This week and next week, the Japan national rugby team will play a two-game series against the Australian national rugby team. This week, they’ll play a home game in Japan, and next week, they’ll travel to Australia for an away game.
Now, let’s introduce the two teams facing off today.
First, here’s the latest on the visiting team, the Australian national rugby team—the Wallabies.
The Wallabies are currently ranked 8th in the world. They are a world-class powerhouse, having won the Rugby World Cup twice and finished as runners-up twice. In past matches against the Japanese national team, they have won all 7 encounters. However, at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, they suffered the humiliation of being eliminated in the group stage for the first time in history. Since they will be the host nation for the Rugby World Cup 2027 next year, they are determined to redeem themselves from the disgrace of the previous tournament at all costs.
The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows.
| Wallabies | ||||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | Club | Australia Caps |
| 1 | Aidan ROSS | 189cm | 111kg | 30 | Reds | 1 |
| 2 | Josh NASSER | 190cm | 111kg | 26 | Reds | 8 |
| 3 | Allan ALAALATOA | 183cm | 120kg | 32 | Brumbies | 79 |
| 4 | Josh CANHAM | 202cm | 115kg | 25 | Reds | 6 |
| 5 | Miles AMATOSERO | 203cm | 125kg | 24 | Wallatahs | 2 |
| 6 | Rob VALETINI | 193cm | 113kg | 27 | Brumbies | 39 |
| 7 | Fraser McREIGHT | 184cm | 102kg | 27 | Reds | 34 |
| 8 | Harry WILSON | 196cm | 107kg | 26 | Reds | 12 |
| 9 | Ryan RONERGAN | 184cm | 80kg | 28 | Brumbies | 10 |
| 10 | Declan MEREDITH | 183cm | 88kg | 27 | Brumbies | 3 |
| 11 | Harry POTTER | 185cm | 95kg | 28 | Wallatahs | 12 |
| 12 | Hunter PAISAMI | 175cm | 97kg | 27 | Reds | 20 |
| 13 | Josef A. SUAALII | 196cm | 98kg | 23 | Wallatahs | 4 |
| 14 | Max JORGENSEN | 183cm | 88kg | 21 | Wallatahs | 0 |
| 15 | Tom WRIGHT | 186cm | 96kg | 29 | Brumbies | 36 |
** Player to Watch **
Josef A. SUAALII. 196 cm, 98 kg, 23 years old. Club: Wallatahs. Positions: CTB, WTB, FB. Australia national team caps: 4.
A product of Australian rugby league, he has only 4 caps for the Australian national team, but he is a prodigious talent who has been attracting attention in Australia since he was young. He signed a professional contract with the Wallatahs of Super Rugby in 2023 and was selected for the Australian national team before making his debut with the club. In his first match for the national team—against England—he contributed to the victory and was named Man of the Match. His playing style combines that of a utility player capable of covering multiple positions with the ability to break through defenses using his impressive physique. He is a player to watch who could lead the Australian national team to victory at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Next up is the home team, the Japan National Rugby Team, the Brave Blossoms.
The Brave Blossoms are currently ranked 10th in the world. Last season, they suffered a series of heavy defeats during their European tour and barely managed to secure 12th place in the world rankings, thereby avoiding an unfavorable draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. However, the roster for this season has yet to be finalized, causing a tinge of anxiety among fans looking forward to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. We hope they will use this season’s series of matches against top-tier teams to thoroughly strengthen the squad.
We’ll also be watching to see if they can end their losing streak against the Australian national team, the Wallabies, who are ranked close to them in this season’s world rankings.
The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.
| Brave Blossoms | ||||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | Club | Caps |
| 1 | Takato OKABE | 180cm | 105kg | 31 | Eagles | 8 |
| 2 | Hayate ERA | 172cm | 106kg | 24 | Kubota APEARS | 7 |
| 3 | Shuhei TAKEUTI | 183cm | 115kg | 28 | Sungoliath | 24 |
| 4 | Harry HOCKINGS | 208cm | 124kg | 27 | Sungoliath | 2 |
| 5 | Warner DEARNS | 201m | 117kg | 24 | Hurricanes | 34 |
| 6 | Ben GUNTER | 195m | 120kg | 28 | Wildknights | 19 |
| 7 | Kanji SHIMOKAWA | 188m | 105kg | 27 | Sungoliath | 23 |
| 8 | Faulua MAKISI | 187cm | 112kg | 29 | Spears | 23 |
| 9 | Naoto SAITO | 165cm | 73kg | 28 | Stade Toulousain | 30 |
| 10 | Ryunosuke ITO | 172cm | 77kg | 21 | Meiji University | 2 |
| 11 | Taira MAIN | 180cm | 92kg | 25 | Black Rams | 1 |
| 12 | Samisoni TUA | 182cm | 108kg | 31 | URAYASU D-Rocks | 4 |
| 13 | Dylan RILEY | 187cm | 102kg | 29 | Wildknights | 40 |
| 14 | Kazuma UEDA | 177cm | 87kg | 23 | Steelers | 4 |
| 15 | Takuro MATSUNAGA | 172cm | 82kg | 27 | Brave Lupas | 7 |
** Player to Watch **
Samisoni TUA. 182 cm, 108 kg, 31 years old. Position: CTB. Club: Urayasu D-Rocks. From Tonga. Graduate of Setsunan University. Japan national team caps: 4.
After playing for the Kansai University All-Stars and the Japan national 7s team, he was selected for the Japan national 15s team in 2024 and earned his first cap in a match against England. He displays outstanding play in terms of speed and the ability to break through defenses. His limited number of caps is likely due to the time he spent recovering from an injury after his initial selection. The CTB position on the Japanese national team is a highly competitive one with many candidates and no set starting lineup; it will be interesting to see if he can win out in that competition and secure a spot on the final roster.
Now, the first half began.
The match kicked off with a kickoff by the Brave Blossoms.
12 minutes into the first half:
The Wallabies were the first to cross the 22-meter line into the opponent’s half. However, they committed several handling errors when moving the ball to the backs, preventing them from scoring.
As a result, the Brave Blossoms launched a counterattack, advancing nearly 90 meters from their own in-goal area to just short of the opponent’s try line.
The Brave Blossoms were pushed back briefly but continued their attack in the opponent’s half. After crossing the opponent’s 22-meter line once more, fly-half ITO cut inside on a running play. ITO evaded 4 Wallabies defenders and scored a try directly beneath the opponent’s goalposts.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 7–0 and giving the Brave Blossoms the early lead.
15 minutes into the first half:
Following the kickoff after the try, the Wallabies launched a counterattack. Perhaps due to the heat, the Wallabies committed a number of handling errors, but they managed to keep their attack going. Amidst this, the running plays by the Wallabies’ back 3 (the left and right wingers and the fullback) stood out. Just short of the opponent’s 22-meter line, winger POTTER picked up a loose ball and, with a deft step, executed a spectacular run, charging straight to the base of the opponent’s goalposts to score a try.
The Wallabies also successfully converted the try, tying the score at 7–7.
26 minutes into the first half:
Although the Wallabies had committed a series of handling errors early in the match, by this point, the backline players’ skillful running and their ability to retain possession without easily losing the ball were evident. Upon entering the opponent’s half, the backs used skillful combinations to quickly shift the play to the left, creating a numerical advantage, and ultimately, fullback WRIGHT scored a try in the middle-left of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 7–14.
34 minutes into the first half:
Following a foul by the Brave Blossoms, the Wallabies advanced deep into enemy territory, where they formed a maul and went for a try in one swift move.
However, having learned from their failure to stop the opponent’s maul in last month’s Test match against France, the Brave Blossoms had trained extensively and devised countermeasures. As a result, they prevented the Wallabies from scoring from the maul in this instance.
During this scoring opportunity, the Wallabies were penalized for a dangerous tackle in the ruck. As a result, Wallabies lock AMATSERO, who committed the foul, was sent off for 20 minutes.
From the penalty kick awarded for this foul, the Brave Blossoms regained territory, continued their attack, and ultimately No. 8 MAKISI scored a try in the left-center of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, tying the score at 14–14.
The first half ended with the score remaining tied. While the game was closely contested, the Wallabies did make slightly more mistakes, likely due to the heat in Japan. It will be interesting to see which team takes control of the match in the second half as fatigue sets in.
After a 15-minute halftime break, the second half began.
2 minutes into the second half:
The Wallabies took control right from the start of the second half. Despite being a man down, they boldly moved the ball forward, racking up gains in individual contact situations, and scored a try in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal area. The try was scored by winger JORGENSEN.
The conversion kick following the try was also successful, bringing the score to 14–21 and putting the Wallabies back in the lead.
5 minutes into the second half:
Although they allowed the Wallabies to take the lead, the Brave Blossoms immediately launched a counterattack. Once inside the opponent’s half, they spread the play left and right to gain ground. At just the right moment, winger UEDA burst in from the opposite side, broke through the defense, and ran about 20 meters to score a try in the center-right corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was missed, bringing the score to 19–21. Neither team would give an inch, and the match remained tightly contested.
9 minutes into the second half:
From the restart kickoff, the Brave Blossoms boldly attempted a counterattack, but Wallabies prop BELL, who had come on as a substitute, made an outstanding ball recovery, earning the Wallabies a penalty kick.
Wallabies fly-half MEREDITH executed a superb touch kick, sending the ball right up to the edge of the opponent’s try line.
With that, the Wallabies leveraged their forward pack’s pressure to score a try in just a few phases. The try was scored by flanker McREIGHT.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 19–28.
13 minutes into the second half:
Following the restart kickoff, the Brave Blossoms entered the opponent’s half and moved the ball forward while under pressure in the scrum. Then, just past the opponent’s 10-meter line, the Wallabies committed a foul.
At this point, the Brave Blossoms opted for a penalty goal.
Although this penalty goal was from a distance of approximately 30 meters, fullback MATSUNAGA converted it, bringing the score to 22-28.
19 minutes into the second half:
As the second half reached its midpoint, both teams made several substitutions in an effort to revitalize their teams. Among them, Brave Blossoms’ WTB Yazaki received loud cheers from the stands.
The Brave Blossoms then advanced deep into the opponent’s territory and drew a penalty from the Wallabies directly in front of the goalposts. At this point, the Brave Blossoms opted for a penalty kick.
Brave Blossoms fullback MATSUNAGA calmly converted the penalty kick, bringing the score to 25–28.
30 minutes into the second half:
With the margin still at 3 points, the score remained unchanged for a while, and the tension continued to mount. However, the Brave Blossoms committed a foul near the center of the field; the Wallabies opted for a penalty kick and quickly advanced to the opponent’s try line.
At this point, as expected of a top-ranked team, the Wallabies pushed forward with brute force, and ultimately, substitute prop TUPOU scored a try directly beneath the goalposts.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 25–35.
38 minutes into the second half:
With the match nearing its end, the Brave Blossoms penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory, presenting a long-awaited scoring opportunity. In response, the Wallabies—with an eye on their next home game—countered with relentless defense.
The Brave Blossoms spread the play wide to both sides and closed in on the try line, but the Wallabies attempted to prevent the score, even at the risk of committing a penalty.
However, in the end, the Brave Blossoms’ determination prevailed, and their captain, lock DEARNS, scored a try in the middle-left of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, narrowing the score to 32–35, a 3-point deficit.
The Brave Blossoms attempted a comeback try on the final play following the restart kickoff, but the Wallabies intercepted the ball near their own 10-meter line and kicked it out of bounds, ending the match.
The Brave Blossoms put on a strong performance, closing the gap to just 3 points against the higher-ranked Wallabies, but this marked their 8th consecutive loss to the Wallabies. We look forward to seeing them redeem themselves in next week’s second Test match in Australia and at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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Stop the war.
Peace to Ukraine
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