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Les is proving more for the Wallabies, with new coach Les Kiss leading the side to a second consecutive victory in an eight-try 56-17 triumph over Japan in Townsville. The impressive victory gives the Australian men their first three-match winning streak since 2024 and fires the hearts and hopes of fans in the 14-month run-up to the 2027 World Cup.
In eight attempts, Japan had never beaten Australia at home. But after a scratchy, scary three-point win in Osaka last week, the Wallabies had to be far more ruthless on Saturday. Kiss’s strategy to swap his starters and finishers again paid off, with several of the Wallabies exciting young stars seizing their chance to shine on the big stage.
Carter Gordon showed early why many believe he’s the answer to Australia’s long search for a gun No 10, straight away taking on the line and producing chaos ball offloads for his weapons out wide. It set up winger Max Jorgensen’s angled sprint to the corner. He was dragged down short but Josh Nasser swept in and crashed over.
Last week, 21-year-old flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito almost stole victory for Japan. Now the university student sparked Japan’s reply, spinning the ball at speed to winger Hiruto Kida who chipped and chased down the right wing. Ryan Lonergan tried to kick Australia out of trouble but the Queensland-born Harry Hocking charged it down to peg the score back to 7-5.
Kiss had made eight changes from last week, flipping his bench to let his finishers start. Those promotions set up Australia’s next try. From a slick lineout, second-Test centre Isaac Henry buckled the line and set up Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to streak away and allow Taniela Tupou to bulldoze over for his second try in as many weeks.
In Osaka, these sides had gone toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow, neither landing a knockout. But again, the Wallabies squandered their ascendancy with fumbles and penalties. Japan’s halfback Naoto Saitō sensed the panic in the Australian ranks and took a quick tap, dashing 5 metres to dive under the crossbar and make it 14-12.
Australia looked to have swung the momentum back their way when Henry smashed through and found Hunter Paisami with a short ball, sending Lonergan racing away. But the referee found a forward pass and Japan capitalised on the reprieve, hooker Hayate Era rumbling through a gap where a quick ruck duly sent Dylan Riley over.
Trailing 14-17, Australia didn’t drop their heads. They kept attacking, Paisami leading the way with a series of strong bursts through the middle to set up in the strike zone. When Wilson was held up, Paisami found another formidable battering ram in Tupou. His second try of the day gave the Wallabies the lead 21-17 at half-time.
After going down 35-32 in Osaka, Japan head coach Eddie Jones had shown his men videos of geese in flight. “The head of the flock is like the ball-carrier,” Jones said in the pre-match press conference. “It’s the responsibility of the support players to respond to what the ball-carrier does.” But when Jorgensen took a flying kick in the second half and raced away, Japan’s goose looked cooked.
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Instead, the Blossoms bravely dragged him down, then did the same to Tom Wright in the opposite corner. But this time there was no counter punch from the visitors. Just as he had last year in Townsville, Wilson spurned three points to chase five, setting up a rolling siege which ended here as it had then: Angus Bell driving over.
Even at 28-17, Australia knew they couldn’t rest. Kiss knew it too and had loaded his bench with firepower. On came the heavy artillery of Brandon Paenga-Amosa and, for a historic Test debut, Wallaby No 1000, Massimo De Lutiis. If that weren’t auspicious enough, De Lutiis then scrambled over for a dream try to take the lead to 18 points.
With six of their eight tries coming from frontrowers, Australia had found their mojo. Also thriving was flanker Carlo Tizzano, three times a thief at the breakdown. With ranks broken, Japan had no answer to this unleashing of beasts and the Wallabies raced in three more tries in quicktime through Cale, Wilson and Paenga-Amosa.
With Gordon’s flash weaponising Australia’s backline, and the set piece monstering everything in its path, the Wallabies suddenly look a force to be reckoned with. However, their real tests are yet to come with a gruelling two-Test tour of Argentina next. Win there, and the world will be on notice: the Wallabies are back on the rise.
