Wales women's rugby team completed a historic double over Japan in the WXV Global Series, winning the second Test 29-5 in Kumagaya City after a dramatic finish that saw them reduced to 13 players.
Second Test drama
Wales led comfortably at 29-5 before replacements Keira Bevan and Hannah Dallavalle received yellow cards within two minutes of each other. For the final 10 minutes, the visitors defended relentlessly against wave after wave of Japanese attacks, holding the hosts scoreless. Head coach Sean Lynn praised the squad's resilience: "The grit we showed to go down to 13 players and just hold them out at the end, that for me is just a sign of how far this squad has come."
Double secured
The victory followed a 17-0 win in the first Test, giving Wales back-to-back Test victories for the first time in over two years. Co-captain Kate Williams highlighted the team's attacking intent and set-piece strength, while acknowledging discipline as an area for improvement: "Something that we need to continually work on is our discipline, but I'm really proud of the defensive effort, especially in that last 20 minutes with the two yellow cards."
Looking ahead
Wales finished the WXV campaign with three wins from four matches. The squad will return to their domestic clubs in the Premiership Women's Rugby and Celtic Challenge competitions before reassembling early next year to prepare for the 2027 Six Nations, which opens at home against world champions England.
