Wales have the opportunity to finish the international year on a high on Saturday as they seek to complete the double over Japan. Sean Lynn’s side have already racked up two wins from three in the WXV Global Series, including last weekend’s 17-0 victory in Tokyo.
Team news and squad changes
The fact that Lynn has boldly made five starting changes shows the strength in depth he has built in the squad during his 18 months in charge. Bethan Lewis, Gwenllian Pyrs, Lleucu George, Gwen Crabb and Courtney Keight – who have a combined 248 Test caps – are all back in the XV having impressed off the bench last weekend. Keight comes in for the injured Freya Bell, one of the youngsters to have impressed since stepping up to senior level earlier this year, while co-captain Alex Callender moves to number eight as the one positional switch.
Japan have made three starting changes, with Komachi Imakugi getting the nod at full-back and Mele Yua Havili Kagawa coming onto the wing. Flanker Nduka Jennier is the only change to the pack, while number eight Savannah Bodman and centre Sophie Akiko Langford retain their places after impressing on debut last week, and scrum-half Moe Tsukui will lead the side out at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium.
Test form and mindset
While Wales go into the contest as favourites, Lynn insists they will not be taking the Sakura Fifteen lightly, especially given recent performances against Ireland. Victory would not see Wales break back into the world’s top 10, but will certainly be progress for a side which previously went nine Test matches without a win. Wales are looking to back up last weekend’s performance, which was the first time they had kept a clean sheet in eight years, and secure back-to-back Test wins for the first time since June 2024.
Wales co-captain Alex Callender reported a frustration in the camp after last weekend, though she noted that nilling a team away from home was a pretty good scoreline. BBC Wales commentator Gareth Rhys Owen stated that Wales won ugly last weekend and found a way to win in difficult conditions, adding that the most encouraging sign of progress was how self-critical the team were afterwards.
The match takes place on Saturday, 31 October at 07:00 GMT at the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Saitama Prefecture, with live coverage on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
