(Written by Azul: August 13, 2026)
On July 18, 2026—a true midsummer spectacle—the day’s high temperature reached 36 degrees Celsius. Although the temperature had dropped slightly by the time the match began in the evening, the test match was played under conditions where the temperature remained above 30 degrees Celsius. In the 3rd round of the inaugural Nations Championship, the Japan national rugby team faced the powerhouse French team, ranked 4th in the world, at the National Stadium in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
A massive crowd of 52,632 spectators gathered for the match.
The Nations Championship is a new tournament that began this season; essentially, it consolidates the test matches that each country previously held individually into a single competition. While the Rugby World Cup (RWC) is the tournament that determines the world’s best rugby team, the Nations Championship—though smaller in scale—brings together the top 12 nations in the world rankings to play test matches.
For Japan, Italy, and Fiji—which are ranked 10th through 12th in the world and teetering on the edge of qualification—this tournament offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen their teams by gaining extensive experience in friendly matches against powerhouse nations.
The Japan national rugby team’s test match schedule for this season, including the Nations Championship, is as follows.
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
Here is an introduction to the 2 teams competing this day.
First, an introduction to the visiting team, the French national rugby team, Les Bleus.
The strongest team in the Northern Hemisphere. Ranked 3rd in the world. They were runners-up in 3 Rugby World Cups: 1987, 1999, and 2011. Their head-to-head record against the Japanese national team stands at 13 wins and 1 draw. They boast the world’s strongest forward pack, along with a backline known for its ability to open up the field and finish plays. Will they showcase their signature “Champagne Rugby”—a style characterized by making full use of the field—here in Japan as well?
Notable absences from this tour squad include Antoine DUPONT, widely regarded as the world’s best scrum-half, and WTB, Louis BIELLE-BIARREY, who was named the 6 Nations’ top try-scorer and Most Valuable Player for 2 consecutive years. While this is disappointing for Japanese rugby fans, there is no doubt that the French national team remains a formidable opponent.
Furthermore, since Japan and France have been drawn into the same qualifying pool for the Rugby World Cup 2027, this match provided a valuable opportunity to gauge the opponent’s strength ahead of the tournament. We look forward to a thrilling match.
The starting lineup for this match was as follows.
| Les Bleus | ||||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | Club | Caps |
| 1 | Jefferson POIROT | 181cm | 117kg | 33 | Bordeaux Begles | 38 |
| 2 | Maxime LAMOTHE | 184cm | 109kg | 27 | Bordeaux Begles | 3 |
| 3 | Regis MONTAGNE | 186cm | 133kg | 25 | Clermont Auvergne | 7 |
| 4 | Florian VERHAEGHE | 203cm | 110kg | 29 | Stade Toulousain | 4 |
| 5 | Emmanuel MEAFOU | 203cm | 142kg | 28 | Stade Toulousain | 17 |
| 6 | Lenni NOUCHI | 194cm | 108kg | 22 | Montpellier Herault | 7 |
| 7 | Marko GAZZOTTI | 192cm | 110kg | 21 | Bordeaux Begles | 1 |
| 8 | Alexandre ROUMAT | 198cm | 110kg | 29 | Stade Toulousain | 10 |
| 9 | Maxime LUCU | 177cm | 83kg | 33 | Bordeaux Begles | 32 |
| 10 | Romain NTAMACK | 186cm | 94kg | 31 | Stade Toulousain | 44 |
| 11 | Aaron GRANDEDIER-NKANANG | 180cm | 91kg | 31 | Lyon | 47 |
| 12 | Yoram MOEFANA | 183cm | 95kg | 25 | Bordeaux Begles | 41 |
| 13 | Fabien BRAU-BOIRE | 190cm | 98kg | 20 | Section Paloise | 4 |
| 14 | Theo ATISSOGBE | 182cm | 84kg | 21 | Section Paloise | 15 |
| 15 | Matthiau JALIBERT | 184cm | 86kg | 27 | Bordeaux Begles | 41 |
While young players such as FL Gazzotti and CTB Brau-Boire are starting on this tour, the rest of the lineup consisted of a powerful squad expected to feature in the actual Rugby World Cup.
** Player to Watch **
(The player wearing jersey number 10 is Ntamack)
Romain NTAMACK. 186 cm, 94 kg, 31 years old. Positions: SO, FB, CTB. Club: Stade Toulousain. France caps: 44. He earned his first cap in the 2019 6 Nations Championship, becoming the second generation in his family to play for the French national rugby team. He competed in the 2019 Rugby World Cup as the youngest player in French history.
As the playmaker for the French national team, he was expected to shine at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but a last-minute injury forced him to withdraw, much to his disappointment.
As a utility player, NTAMACK is capable of playing multiple positions in the backline. While he primarily plays fly-half, his physical strength allows him to also play inside center. He is expected to play a key role as the starting fly-half for the French national team at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Next, here is the latest news on the home team, the Japan national rugby team, the Brave Blossoms.
Ranked 10th in the world, they got off to a promising start by defeating the Italian national team in their opening match of the Nations Championship. In their 2nd match on July 12, they faced the Irish national team and stayed close until the 20-minute mark of the second half, but conceded a try late in the game and lost 20–36.
Today’s opponent is France, the Northern Hemisphere champion. We look forward to seeing how far the Japanese national team can push them and hope they put up a strong fight.
The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.
| Brave Blossoms | ||||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | Club | Caps |
| 1 | Sojiro OTSUKA | 178cm | 110kg | 21 | Kinki Univercity | 0 |
| 2 | Hayate ERA | 172cm | 106kg | 24 | Kubota APEARS | 6 |
| 3 | Keijiro TAMEFUSA | 180cm | 108kg | 24 | Kubota APEARS | 20 |
| 4 | Harry HOCKINGS | 205cm | 124kg | 27 | Sungoliath | 3 |
| 5 | Warner DEARNS | 201m | 117kg | 24 | Hurricanes | 33 |
| 6 | Esei HAANGANA | 198m | 120kg | 27 | Wildknights | 0 |
| 7 | Ben GUNTER | 195m | 120kg | 28 | Wildknights | 18 |
| 8 | Jack CORNELSEN | 195cm | 110kg | 31 | Wildknights | 30 |
| 9 | Naoto SAITO | 165cm | 73kg | 28 | Toulouse | 29 |
| 10 | Ryunosuke ITO | 172cm | 77kg | 21 | Meiji University | 1 |
| 11 | Kippei ISHIDA | 167cm | 75kg | 28 | Eagles | 10 |
| 12 | Samisoni TUA | 182cm | 108kg | 31 | URAYASU D-Rocks | 3 |
| 13 | Dylan RILEY | 187cm | 102kg | 29 | Wildknights | 39 |
| 14 | Kazuma UEDA | 177cm | 87kg | 23 | Steelers | 3 |
| 15 | Takuro MATSUNAGA | 172cm | 82kg | 27 | Brave Lupas | 6 |
In the second match, CTB HIROSE was injured and had to withdraw from the national team. Replacing him will be TUA from the D-Rocks. He will leverage his physical strength to lead the backline’s breakthroughs.
** Player to Watch **
Naoto SAITO. 165 cm, 73 kg, 28 years old. Position: SH. Club: Stade Toulousain. Japan national team caps: 29. He transferred from Japan’s SUNTORY Sungoliath to France’s Stade Toulousain, where he helped the team win the French league title. He is scheduled to return to Sungoliath this fall.
Since moving to France, SAITO has shifted to a playing style that involves more game management. Whereas he previously focused solely on distributing the ball quickly, he has now developed the ability to survey the entire field and assess the flow of the game. By distributing the ball at moments when the team is settled, SAITO contributes to the team’s stability.
Additionally, although the team typically has a backup scrum-half on the bench, no substitute has been named for this match. This is likely because the team’s coaching staff trusts SAITO and wants to increase his playing time. We’ll be keeping a close eye on SAITO’s performance in this match.
And now, the first half began.
2 minutes into the first half:
The match kicked off with a kickoff by the French national team (Les Bleus). From the kickoff, Les Bleus secured the ball in the opponent’s half and, pushing their powerful forwards to the front, steadily racked up gains. The Japanese national team (Brave Blossoms) tried to counter in the scrum, but ultimately committed a penalty, and Les Bleus opted for a penalty kick from near the opponent’s 10-meter line. From there, Les Bleus secured the ball from their own lineout and advanced through a maul. Les Bleus went on to score a try in the right corner of the opponent’s in-goal area. The entire sequence took Les Bleus just 2 minutes.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 0–7.
The conversion kick was made by Les Bleus’ captain, scrum-half LUCU.
10 minutes into the first half:
Following the kickoff after the try, the Brave Blossoms entered the opponent’s half and attempted to advance with a flanking attack by their forwards. Just as they were closing in on the opponent’s try line, Les Bleus committed an offside penalty. The Brave Blossoms opted for a penalty goal. Since it was an easy position directly in front of the goalposts, 10 meters away, fullback MATSUNAGA confidently converted the penalty goal, bringing the score to 3-7.
15 minutes into the first half:
As the players from both teams seemed to warm up, the game began to feature dynamic play that made full use of the field. Once Les Bleus entered the opponent’s half, their forwards and backs worked as one, stringing together passes to advance. However, when Les Bleus fumbled the ball due to a handling error, the Brave Blossoms recovered it, resulting in a turnover. The Brave Blossoms’ scrum-half, SAITO, kicked the ball deep into the opponent’s half. Les Bleus’ fly-half, NTAMACK, picked it up and passed it to fullback JALIBERT, who kicked it back long.
From there, the Brave Blossoms launched a counterattack. The ball went from fly-half ITO to center RILEY, and finally to wing ISHIDA, who scored a try in the left-center of the opponent’s in-goal area.
Although the conversion kick after the try was missed, the score became 8–7, and the Brave Blossoms successfully took the lead.
The more than 50,000 Japanese supporters packing the stadium erupted in cheers at this play.
19 minutes into the first half:
Les Bleus immediately launched a counterattack. From the restart kickoff, they entered the opponent’s half, spread the play down the left flank, and advanced toward the opponent’s try line. Les Bleus created several scoring opportunities through forward drives, but the Brave Blossoms managed to thwart them. Les Bleus then continued their attack, spreading the play wide to the right, where fullback JALIBERT broke through to score a try in the right corner of the opponent’s goalposts.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 8–14.
During this play, Brave Blossoms lock HOCKINGS was penalized for a malicious foul and received a 10-minute suspension.
23 minutes into the first half:
Playing a man down against a top-ranked team is a significant disadvantage. Seizing the opportunity, Les Bleus launched an offensive drive through their forwards.
Following an opponent’s foul, Les Bleus earned a lineout inside the opponent’s 22-meter line. After securing the ball, they formed a maul, surged forward in one swift motion, and crashed into the right-center of the opponent’s in-goal area to score a try. The try was scored by Les Bleus’ No. 8, ROUMAT.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 8–21.
30 minutes into the first half:
At this point, the Brave Blossoms’ lock HOCKINGS returned from a temporary suspension. However, throughout this match, the Brave Blossoms were noticeably outmatched at key moments during forward set pieces.
When Les Bleus advanced deep into the Brave Blossoms’ territory, the Brave Blossoms were unable to hold them off.
Once again, when the Brave Blossoms were pinned in a maul by Les Bleus, they were pushed back in one fell swoop and conceded a try. The try for Les Bleus was scored by scrum-half LUCU.
The score was now 8–28.
Looking at their Nations Championship matches, while they haven’t lost set pieces to Italy—which is close to them in the world rankings—they have been outplayed in set pieces by higher-ranked teams like Ireland and France.
36 minutes into the first half:
Toward the end of the first half, the Brave Blossoms finally penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory. Following an opponent’s foul, they earned a lineout in their own possession just beyond the opponent’s 22-meter line. After securing the ball, the Brave Blossoms formed a maul to advance, but were overpowered and unable to push forward.
Howevebecause the opponent committed a foul, they earned another attacking opportunity with possession just 5 meters short of the try line. Here, catching the opponent off guard, hooker ERA charged forward and closed in on the try line; prop OTSUKA, who received the ball there, grounded it to score a try.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 15–28.
The first half ended with this score.
While the Brave Blossoms aim to surpass their best-ever result (the quarterfinals) at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, they were outmatched in set pieces against France, currently ranked 4th in the world. They can only see a chance of victory if they compete on equal footing in set pieces, so the key will be how much they can improve their skills in the remaining year.
And now, the second half began.
The second half kicked off with a kickoff by the Brave Blossoms.
3 minutes into the second half:
The Brave Blossoms attempted to advance through a series of open-play attacks but were unable to break through Les Bleus’ defensive wall. Consequently, they opted to kick contest kicks into the opponent’s half to regain possession, but the opposition intercepted every single one.
Conversely, whenever Les Bleus kicked the ball, they were almost always successful in regaining possession. Ultimately, Les Bleus moved the ball down the field, and fullback JALIBERT scored his second try of the day right beneath the opponent’s goalposts.
Les Bleus also successfully converted the try, bringing the score to 15–35.
Dealing with high balls has been a weakness for the Brave Blossoms so far, and unless the back 3 (the two wingers and the fullback) address this issue urgently, it is expected that opposing teams will continue to employ this tactic in the future.
11 minutes into the second half:
Convinced they had the upper hand in forward contact, Les Bleus relentlessly pushed forward through their forwards. In set pieces, particularly the lineout, the Brave Blossoms put up a valiant fight to steal the ball from their opponents. However, once Les Bleus formed a maul, they were unable to stop the advance. Ultimately, Les Bleus hooker Lamouthe scored a try in the center-right of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 15–42 in favor of Les Bleus.
Starting just past the 15-minute mark of the second half, the Brave Blossoms’ defense began to function effectively, and one of the key factors behind this was the playmaking of scrum-half SAITO. Since the Brave Blossoms formed their new team for the Rugby World Cup 2027, their team slogan has been “Ultra-Fast Rugby.” Initially, they relied on flashy plays where both the forwards and backs linked passes in rapid succession to mount attacks. However, opposing teams adapted to this strategy during matches, and the Brave Blossoms suffered a string of losses last season. Reflecting on this, this season’s Brave Blossoms have shifted their approach: the playmaker now takes control at key moments to ensure a composed flow of play. Fly-half SAITO continues to execute flawless plays, using precise kicks to regain possession from deep in his own half. As a result, even when the Brave Blossoms lose, they no longer suffer heavy defeats and are able to keep matches close.
18 minutes into the second half:
The Brave Blossoms launched a counterattack from their own half and advanced to near the opponent’s 22-meter line. At this point, Les Bleus fullback JALIBERT committed a high tackle penalty and was sent off for 10 minutes.
This gave the Brave Blossoms a 10-minute numerical advantage. Will they be able to convert this opportunity into points?
23 minutes into the second half:
By this point, due to the high temperatures and physical exhaustion, Les Bleus’ movement had become somewhat sluggish. From this point on, the Brave Blossoms substitutes began to make their presence felt. In particular, flanker COSTLEY followed up on a teammate’s run just in front of the opponent’s try line, received the ball, and with a quick burst of speed, scored a try in the left-center of the opponent’s in-goal area.
However, this try was disallowed following a video review.
The Brave Blossoms went on to break through the defense several times, creating scoring opportunities and thrilling the crowd, but ultimately failed to score in the second half.
The Brave Blossoms still face several major challenges ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup: improving the consistency of their set pieces and increasing their success rate in regaining possession of high balls. With only one year remaining, we hope they will treat every upcoming match with the utmost importance.
** Jersey Collection 77 **
With the 2027 Rugby World Cup just a year away, excitement among Japanese rugby fans is gradually building. Meanwhile, the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held across North America from June through July,2026. As the world’s largest sporting event, major sporting goods manufacturers have been unveiling many new sports jerseys. Among them, the item I purchased this time is the French National Soccer Team’s Anthem Jacket. This is the jersey the French national team wears from the moment they enter the field until the national anthem is sung.
In this tournament, the French national team, led by captain Mbappé, was considered one of the top favorites to win the title. Unfortunately, they finished in 4th place, but Mbappé was crowned the tournament’s top scorer.
As for this national team jacket, the retail price in Japan was 17,000 yen. Just as the tournament was reaching its climax, I absolutely had to have this jersey, so I bought it on Mercari for 24,000 yen—a 7,000-yen markup. Once I calmed down and looked into it more carefully, I realized I could have bought it at the list price, but I ended up buying it on impulse.
This jersey features a double-layered mesh construction so that players can wear it during the tournament in the height of summer.
It’s so breathable that you couldn’t possibly wear it in winter.
On the left chest of the jersey is a patch featuring the French Football Federation (FFF) logo.
Since the French national team has won the World Cup twice so far, it features two stars.
And on the right chest is a patch featuring the logo of the manufacturer, NIKE.
The World Cup is the time of year when jersey sales are at their peak worldwide, so the designs released during this period are particularly sophisticated. Although prices are high if you buy them during this time, as a fan, it’s a cool jersey.
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