Wales hold off Japan 28-21 in Nations Championship

Wales beat Japan 28-21 in Cardiff on Saturday to record their second win in four Nations Championship matches, but needed a late try from Josh Adams to secure the result after a performance disrupted by handling and lineout errors.

Adams scored twice, with Archie Griffin and Louis Rees-Zammit also crossing for Wales. Japan stayed within reach through tries from Ben Gunter, Warner Dearns and Kenta Fukuda. Wales led 21-14 at halftime after Rees-Zammit’s try, then extended the advantage through Adams in the 69th minute.

Japan made the closing minutes tense when Fukuda scored late. Accounts of the final conversion differ: some credit Shinya Komura, while others say Naoto Saito kicked two conversions and Komura contributed six points overall. The match reports agree on the final score of 28-21.

Wales struggled to retain possession, with reports describing handling mistakes and a malfunctioning lineout. Two accounts counted six lost Welsh lineouts. Japan capitalised on turnovers and remained in the contest, while Wales failed to turn periods of pressure into points after halftime.

The win was described as a bonus-point result and Wales’ second victory in four matches in the competition....