Wales host Japan in Cardiff on Saturday in Round 4 of the Nations Championship. Both sides have struggled for consistency, and with New Zealand and Australia still to come for Wales, this looks a particularly important opportunity for the home side to pick up a victory.
The teams have met three times since July 2025, with Wales winning two of those encounters, although all three were closely contested.
Wales vs Japan, Saturday 7th November, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, KO 18:40 (South African time)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Weather Forecast – Cardiff
Wales
Wales sit fifth in the Northern Hemisphere standings with five points from one win and two defeats.
They opened their Nations Championship campaign with an encouraging 39–24 victory over Fiji in Cardiff before losing 35–21 to Argentina in San Juan. Their final July match was a difficult afternoon in Durban, where the Springboks ran out 43–0 winners.
Wales have scored 60 points and conceded 102 in their three matches. They will be pleased to return to home soil, particularly with all three of their remaining group fixtures taking place at the Principality Stadium.
They have won their last two meetings with Japan, although both were close affairs. Their most recent encounter was in November 2025, when a last-minute penalty secured a narrow 24–23 victory in Cardiff.
Nations Championship Results and Fixtures:
R1 Fiji (a) WON 39–24
R2 Argentina (a) LOST 21–35
R3 South Africa (a) LOST 0–43
R4 Japan (h) – 7 November
R5 New Zealand (h) – To come
R6 Australia (h) – To come
Japan
Japan are fifth in the Southern Hemisphere standings with four points from one win and two defeats.
The Brave Blossoms started their Nations Championship campaign with a 27–10 victory over Italy in Tokyo before losing 36–20 to Ireland in Newcastle. They finished the July window with a 42–15 defeat to France.
Japan have scored 62 points and conceded 88 across their opening three matches.
Since July, they have also been involved in international rugby against Australia and in the Pacific Nations Cup, giving them plenty of match time heading into the November series.
They will take some confidence from their recent meetings with Wales, having won 24–19 in July 2025 before losing the next two encounters by nine points and a single point respectively.
Nations Championship Results and Fixtures:
R1 Italy (h) WON 27–10
R2 Ireland (h) LOST 20–36
R3 France (h) LOST 15–42
R4 Wales (a) – 7 November
R5 England (a) – To come
R6 Scotland (a) – To come
Recent Head to Head
Nov 2025 – International – Cardiff – WALES 24–23 Japan
Jul 2025 – International – Kobe – Japan 22–31 WALES
Jul 2025 – International – Kitakyushu – JAPAN 24–19 Wales
Nov 2016 – International – Cardiff – WALES 33–30 Japan
Jun 2013 – International – Tokyo – JAPAN 23–8 Wales
Team News
Wales:
Team selection to follow.
Japan:
Team selection to follow.
The Betting
Betting as at 1 November 2026
Wales -10.5 points at 0.91/1
Japan +10.5 points at 0.91/1
Betting Angle
To follow.
Follow our Nations Championship Week 4 blog for betting-related news and tips throughout the week.
See what other punters fancy and have your say in the Nations Championship Round 4 discussion thread.
Disclaimer: Betting odds and handicaps are correct at the time of writing but may change. Punters should check the latest prices, team news, weather conditions and relevant form before placing their bets.