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With a daring strategy, the Wallabies benched 13 key players and named the team's most inexperienced skipper in 64 years. Against the odds, this gamble paid off, with Australia's national rugby side defeated ex-mentor Eddie Jones' Japan squad by four points in a rain-soaked Tokyo.

Ending a Slide and Preserving a Perfect Record

This narrow win ends a three-game slide and keeps Australia's perfect record versus Japan intact. It also prepares the team for next week's return to rugby's hallowed ground, in which the squad's first-choice XV will strive to repeat previous dramatic triumph over the English side.

Schmidt's Canny Strategy Pay Off

Up against the 13th-ranked Japan, Australia had much to lose following a difficult home season. Coach Joe Schmidt opted to hand younger players an opportunity, fearing tiredness during a demanding five-Test road trip. This canny though daring approach echoed a previous Australian experiment in 2022 that ended in an unprecedented loss to the Italian side.

First-Half Challenges and Fitness Setbacks

The home side began with intensity, with hooker Hayate Era delivering multiple monster hits to unsettle Australia. However, the Australian team regained composure and improved, as Nick Champion de Crespigny crossing near the line for a 7-0 lead.

Fitness issues struck in the opening period, with locks locks forced off—one with bruised ribs and his replacement Josh Canham. This required the already revamped side to adapt their forward lineup and tactics on the fly.

Frustrating Attack and Breakthrough Try

Australia applied pressure repeatedly near the Japanese line, pounding the defense with short-range attacks yet failing to break through for thirty-two rucks. After probing the middle without success, they eventually went wide from a scrum, with a center breaking the line before assisting Josh Flook for a try that made it 14-3.

Debatable Calls and Japan's Fightback

A further apparent score from a flanker was denied on two occasions because of dubious rulings, highlighting a frustrating first half experienced by the Wallabies. Slippery weather, limited tactics, and the Brave Blossoms' ferocious defense ensured the match close.

Late Action and Tense Finish

Japan started with more vigor in the second period, scoring through a forward to narrow the gap to six points. The Wallabies hit back soon after through the flanker powering over from a maul to re-establish an 11-point advantage.

However, the Brave Blossoms responded immediately when the fullback dropped a kick, letting Ben Hunter to cross. At four points apart, the match hung on a knife-edge, with the underdogs pushing for a historic win against the Wallabies.

During the dying minutes, the Wallabies showed character, securing a crucial set-piece and a penalty. The team stood firm in the face of a storm, clinching a gritty win that sets the squad well for their Northern Hemisphere tour.