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Wallabies

Opinion

Paul Cully Rugby columnist October 26, 2025 — 1.33pm

The Wallabies’ narrow victory against Japan on Saturday – narrow both in terms of their attack and on the scoreboard – could be put down to a line-up that was not at full strength (it was closer to the best available than some suggested). But it really said more about Japan.

This was their best performance in years. The Brave Blossoms will always have to blend Japanese players and gaijin (non-Japanese born players) in Test rugby, but the performance in Tokyo had a strong Japanese identity – the ferocious low tackling, the speed and ambition of the back three, and the technically excellent scrummaging against bigger men (the Wallabies’ loss of two big second-rowers helped, too).

Japan hav

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