Australia vs Japan recap: Wallaby 1000 makes history then sends crowd wild in win

That’s a wrap from our live coverage of the Wallabies vs Japan Test series, won 2-0 by Australia.

Well done Les Kiss, but things go up a level or two with a tough trip to Argentina looming.

Thanks for joining us and stay tuned to nine.com.au and Stan Sport for all the fallout.

The Wallabies have made it three in a row for the first time since 2024, after putting away Eddie Jones’s Japanese Brave Blossoms 56-17 in Townsville on Saturday afternoon.

After being pushed for much of the first half, the Wallabies turned a 21-17 half-time lead into a 39-point drubbing over the world No.12 side.

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Wallabies survive first-half scare to demolish Eddie’s Japan

Australia prop Taniela Tupou grabbed a double and his replacement Massimo De Lutiis scored a try on debut as the Wallabies thrashed Japan 56-17 in Townsville on Saturday to sweep the two-match series.

Six of Australia’s eight tries came from front-row forwards with hooker Josh Nasser, loosehead Angus Bell and replacement rake Brandon Paenga-Amosa also crossing.

Flanker Charlie Cale and skipper Harry Wilson chipped in with late scores for the back row and scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan and replacement flyhalf Ben Donaldson combined to kick all eight conversions.

There were also fine performances from winger Max Jorgensen and flanker Carlo Tizzano, but new coach Les Kiss will have been unimpressed with some of his team’s execution and defence in the first half.

“A team like Japan, if you’re not up for it, they really make you pay,” said Wilson.

“I was really proud of the group in that second half. We stepped it up, and we put on a great performance. I guess we went through the front door. We were physical and we had a lot more spark.”

Japan scored first-half tries through Harry Hockings, Naoto Saito and Dylan Riley but were kept pointless after the break to fall to a ninth loss in nine games against Australia going back to 1975.

Coach Eddie Jones might take comfort from the amount of pressure his team were able to put on the Australians at times, as they had in the closer 35-32 loss last week.

“It was a good, tough, really hard battle,” said Japan skipper Warner Dearns.

“We put a real emphasis on trying to move them around and play a bit of our fast rugby. I think we did it well in the first half, but we couldn’t keep it going in the second half.”

Japan reprised the expansive rugby that impressed in Osaka from the start but it was Australia who opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Nasser, who finished from close range after a flowing backline move.

Australian-born Hockings hit back for Japan five minutes later with a charge down of Ryan Lonergan’s clearance kick, but the Wallabies were back ahead in the 17th minute when tighthead Tupou bulldozed over the line.

Japan scrumhalf Saito cut the deficit with a try from a quickly taken penalty in front of the posts and the visitors went ahead when centre Riley stretched over the line to touch down, finishing off a slick attacking move.

Australia were playing some expansive rugby themselves and they were soon back in the Japan 22-metre line with Tupou crashing through tackles to score his second try and give the Wallabies a 21-17 halftime lead.

Bell extended Australia’s advantage with another try from close range 11 minutes into the second half and a mazy break from flyhalf Carter Gordon allowed De Lutiis to mark becoming the 1,000th Wallaby in some style.

Cale went over the line on the back of a dominant scrum in the 73rd minute and number eight Wilson and Paenga-Amosa put a gloss on the scoreline after Japan had lost replacement hooker Mamoru Harada to a yellow card.

Japan skipper Warner Dearns was full of praise for the Wallabies after being outclassed in the second half.

“It was a good, tough, really hard battle. Credit to the Wallabies, they came out and gave us one in the second half, which we couldn’t keep up with,” Dearns told Stan Sport.

“We knew that the Wallabies were going to come out hard. They had a big, physical pack at the start of the first half, so we put a real emphasis on trying to move them around and play a bit of our fast rugby. We did it well in the first half, but we couldn’t keep it going in the second half.”

Powerful ball runner Isaac Henry was impressive in the Wallabies No.13 jersey in his first Test start.

“All the boys worked extremely hard, and I just tried to do my job the best I could,” Henry told Stan Sport.

“We weren’t happy with some of the possessions we had in the first half and I think we kind of fixed that up a little bit.”

The front-rowers will be buying the drinks in Townsville tonight after Brandon Paenga-Amosa goes over for yet another try after the fulltime siren.

The front-row club scored six this afternoon!

The Wallabies have blitzed Japan in the second half for a 56-17 victory.

It was three tries apiece at halftime with Australia leading 21-17 before an emphatic 35-0 second term.

Les Kiss is 2-0 as coach with a tough trip to Argentina up next.

The forwards are having a day out as Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson joins the try-scoring party with a powerful finish.

Japan is ready to go home as Australia now lead 49-17 after 76 minutes.

The Wallabies have only conceded four penalties so far. A great stat.

Charlie Cale - back at No.8 - now scores a try as the Wallabies continue to blow away Japan in the second half.

It has been impressive after halftime and Australia lead 42-17 after 74 minutes.

Great entertainment for the Townsville crowd.