Scotland recovered from a 17-7 half-time deficit to score 26 unanswered points in the second half and beat Fiji 33-17 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in their final Nations Championship fixture of the summer.

Key moments

14 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Ollie Smith makes a clean break from inside the Fiji half and offloads to George Horne, who is tackled 5m out. Scotland work through the phases and Jonny Gray barges over on the left. Horne converts. (Fiji 0–7 Scotland)

16 mins – TRY FIJI: Fiji win the lineout from the restart and drive the maul. Captain Tevita Ikanivere stretches over from close range. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula misses the conversion. (Fiji 5–7 Scotland)

19 mins – TRY FIJI: Sensational length-of-the-field try. Jiuta Wainiqolo collects a grubber inside his own 22 and burns past Duhan van der Merwe. Fiji switch right and Josua Tuisova breaks clear before offloading to Selestino Ravutaumada, who kicks ahead, regathers his own grubber and dives over. Armstrong-Ravula misses. (Fiji 10–7 Scotland)

27 mins – YELLOW CARD FIJI: Lekima Tagitagivalu is shown a yellow card for a cynical clean-out on scrum-half Horne at the breakdown.

34 mins – TRY FIJI: Despite being a man down, Fiji are clinical. With a penalty advantage, Elia Canakaivata spots a gap around the fringes and sprints through from 5m, finishing with an acrobatic swan dive under the posts. Armstrong-Ravula converts. (Fiji 17–7 Scotland)

Half-time: Fiji 17–7 Scotland. Fiji were outstanding, defending the maul superbly and striking with clinical counter-attacking tries. Scotland dominated territory and possession but repeatedly wasted entries into the Fiji 22, failing to convert pressure into points.

54 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Jamie Dobie sends Stafford McDowall surging towards the 5m line with a powerful carry. A quick recycle finds Pierre Schoeman, who rumbles over under the posts. Fergus Burke converts. (Fiji 17–14 Scotland)

58 mins – Josh Bayliss knocks on over the try line with the line at his mercy after a strong carry by van der Merwe.

61 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Sione Tuipulotu burrows towards the line before Dobie picks and goes from close range. Referee Matthew Carley awards the try on-field and the TMO finds insufficient evidence to overturn despite questions over the grounding. Burke converts. (Fiji 17–21 Scotland)

74 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Zander Fagerson dishes a short pass to Scott Cummings, who powers over just to the left of the posts. TMO confirms the grounding after a brief check. Burke converts. (Fiji 17–28 Scotland)

77 mins – TRY SCOTLAND: Van der Merwe takes a high kick near the Fiji 22 and charges towards the corner. Forced close to touch, he offloads inside to Bayliss, who in turn feeds Dobie. The scrum-half scoops the ball brilliantly off his bootlaces to score in the corner for his second try. Burke misses the conversion. (Fiji 17–33 Scotland)

Full-time: Fiji 17–33 Scotland

Full match report to follow.

Teams

Fiji: 15 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 14 Selestino Ravutaumada, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Josua Tuisova, 11 Jiuta Wainiqolo, 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Frank Lomani, 1 Eroni Mawi, 2 Tevita Ikanivere (c), 3 Mesake Doge, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 5 Temo Mayanavanua, 6 Pita Gus Sowakula, 7 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 8 Elia Canakaivata.
Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Livai Natave, 18 Peni Ravai, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Kitione Salawa, 21 Sam Wye, 22 Isikeli Rabitu, 23 Salesi Rayasi.

Scotland: 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Ollie Smith, 12 Stafford McDowall (c), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fergus Burke, 9 George Horne, 1 Rory Sutherland, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 3 D’Arcy Rae, 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Max Williamson, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Freddy Douglas, 8 Gregor Brown.
Replacements: 16 Seb Stephen, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Magnus Bradbury, 21 Liam McConnell, 22 Jamie Dobie, 23 Sione Tuipulotu.

Match details

Fiji 17 (Tries: Ikanivere, Ravutaumada, Canakaivata; Conversions: Armstrong-Ravula 1/3)
Scotland 33 (Tries: Gray, Schoeman, Dobie 2, Cummings; Conversions: Horne 1/1, Burke 3/4)
Half-time: 17–7

Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

The Wallabies delivered their biggest win in over a decade, thumping Italy 57–10 at a sold-out HBF Park in Perth to send Joe Schmidt out a winner in his final Test as head coach.

Key moments

4 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: The Wallabies power over from a rolling maul after sustained close-range pressure, with Josh Canham eventually driving low near the corner to open the scoring. Ryan Lonergan misses the conversion. (Australia 5–0 Italy)

8 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: Lovely hands through the midfield as Allan Alaalatoa juggles but pops the ball outside for Tom Wright, who bursts around his man and races into the corner untouched. Lonergan converts. (Australia 12–0 Italy)

12 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: Harry Potter splits Italy open with a brilliant break from deep inside his own half, putting the Wallabies on the try line. Brandon Paenga-Amosa drives over from close range to cap a devastating opening quarter. Lonergan converts. (Australia 19–0 Italy)

21 mins – TRY ITALY: Italy string together their first sustained attacking passage of the match, working the ball wide to the left where captain Michele Lamaro is awarded the try in the corner after the TMO finds grounding despite Harry Potter’s efforts to hold him up. Paolo Garbisi’s conversion hits the post. (Australia 19–5 Italy)

24 mins – TRY DISALLOWED AUSTRALIA: Max Jorgensen walks in untouched on the right edge, but the TMO intervenes, finding a knock-on from Ryan Lonergan in the build-up. Score remains 19–5.

28 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: Poor clearance kicking keeps Italy pinned inside their 22 and Josh Canham punishes them with his second try, burrowing over from close range after efficient Wallabies phase play. Lonergan misses the conversion. (Australia 24–5 Italy)

31 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: Another rolling maul, another try. The Wallabies drive from the lineout and Angus Bell is the man on the end of it, diving over 10 metres in from the left touch. Lonergan converts. (Australia 31–5 Italy)

40+1 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: The Wallabies strike on the stroke of half-time. They work the short side on the right and Len Ikitau dives over in the corner to cap a dominant first-half display. The TMO reviews a possible knock-on but cannot find clear evidence to overturn. Lonergan converts. (Australia 38–5 Italy)

Half-time: Australia 38–5 Italy. A commanding first-half display from the Wallabies, who score six tries to blow Italy away. The forward pack is dominant, with Josh Canham and Jeremy Williams outstanding carriers and Carlo Tizzano influential at the breakdown. Harry Potter’s return on the wing provides a spark in attack. Italy’s only response comes through Lamaro’s try, with the visitors forced into 154 tackles to Australia’s 45.

41 mins – TRY ITALY: Italy strike immediately after the restart. A dropped kick-off hands them possession and Monty Ioane powers over on the left after a sharp move involving Juan Ignacio Brex. The TMO checks for a possible neck roll in the build-up but clears the try. Garbisi’s conversion hits the left post. (Australia 38–10 Italy)

52 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: Josh Canham completes the first hat-trick by a Wallabies lock in Test history, picking and driving over from close range after Australia win a free kick on the Italian 22. Lonergan converts. (Australia 45–10 Italy)

57 mins – DEBUT: Miles Amatosero enters the fray to become Wallaby number 998, replacing Jeremy Williams. Billy Pollard and Tate McDermott also come on.

64 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: The Wallabies bring up 50 points with another powerful rolling maul try, Billy Pollard the man to crash over at the back. Declan Meredith misses the conversion. (Australia 50–10 Italy)

67 mins – RED CARD ITALY: Chaotic scenes as a scuffle spills into the Italian technical area. Prop Marco Riccioni, who had already been substituted, re-enters the field of play and throws a punch at an Australian player on the ground. Riccioni is shown a red card and removed from the sideline, though Italy do not lose a player from the field. (Australia 50–10 Italy)

75 mins – TRY DISALLOWED ITALY: Pablo Dimcheff appears to score from a rolling maul but the TMO rules he has dropped the ball over the line. Score remains 50–10.

80 mins – TRY AUSTRALIA: The Wallabies finish with a spectacular team try. Fraser McReight and Billy Pollard make the initial breaks before Rob Valetini charges through four defenders. Ben Donaldson runs the crash ball line and dives over to cap a perfect night. Donaldson converts his own try. (Australia 57–10 Italy)

Full-time: Australia 57–10 Italy

Match report

The Wallabies saved their best performance under Joe Schmidt for last, demolishing Italy 57–10 at a sold-out HBF Park in Perth to snap a six-match losing streak and send the outgoing head coach into the sunset with his biggest win at the helm.

Josh Canham was the star of the show, becoming the first lock in Wallabies history to score a Test hat-trick as Australia ran in nine tries in a performance that provided a tantalising glimpse of the talent new coach Les Kiss inherits ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It was the Wallabies’ highest score in a match since a 63–30 win over Japan in 2017 and their largest victory over Italy in over two decades, surpassing the 48-point margin set in Melbourne in 2005.

The result could hardly have been more emphatic given the context. Australia had lost nine of their previous 10 Tests, including agonising defeats to Ireland and France in the opening two rounds of the Nations Championship where they had led at half-time on both occasions only to fade after the break. Against Italy, there was to be no such collapse.

The Wallabies exploded out of the blocks with a ferocity that left the Azzurri reeling. Their intentions were clear from the opening minute when they rolled a maul 20 metres deep into Italian territory. Canham was the man to finish the opening salvo, stretching out to ground the ball near the corner after 17 gruelling phases on the Italian try line. Within eight minutes, Tom Wright had added a second, jinking around his man after a brilliant acrobatic offload from Allan Alaalatoa to race in untouched.

The onslaught continued when Harry Potter, excellent throughout on his return to the starting side, split Italy open with a dazzling break from inside his own half. The winger could not quite find an offload to finish the job himself, but the Wallabies forwards rumbled through the phases and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa burrowed over to make it 19–0 after just 12 minutes. It was an opening quarter that had the record crowd of 19,268 on their feet.

Italy briefly stemmed the bleeding when captain Michele Lamaro found the try line in the corner despite Potter’s desperate efforts to hold the ball up, the TMO finding sufficient grounding to award the score. But it was only temporary respite. Canham crossed for his second after more patient close-range work, burrowing over on the blind side in the 28th minute. Three minutes later, Angus Bell latched onto the back of another irresistible rolling maul to extend the lead to 31–5.

The Wallabies were winning every collision, dominating the set piece and finding space that had simply not existed against Ireland and France. Every gold jersey was hitting the line with intent, with the midfield combination of Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii leading the charge. Ikitau capped a superb individual first half by diving over in the corner on the stroke of half-time to make it 38–5, despite the TMO reviewing a possible knock-on. The statistics told the story of utter dominance: 73 per cent possession and territory, Italy forced into 154 tackles to Australia’s 45.

The second half began with a familiar wobble. Italy scored just 42 seconds after the restart when a dropped kick-off handed them possession and Melbourne-born winger Monty Ioane powered through after a sharp pass from Juan Ignacio Brex. For a fleeting moment, memories of the collapses against Ireland and France stirred. But captain Harry Wilson insisted there was a different resolve in the group this time.

“We probably went out a bit tentative there in the first couple of minutes and sort of just said, well, this is not happening again,” Wilson said. “After two weeks of pain with that, the boys said that was enough and went out there and dominated after that.”

Canham duly settled any nerves in the 52nd minute, completing his historic hat-trick with a trademark pick-and-drive from close range after the Wallabies won a free kick on the Italian 22. Ryan Lonergan nailed the conversion to make it 45–10 and the game was well beyond Italy’s reach.

Shortly after, James Slipper entered the fray from the bench for his 154th Test, overtaking Sam Whitelock to become the second most capped player in men’s rugby history, behind only Wales and Lions legend Alun Wyn Jones. Miles Amatosero also came on to become Wallaby number 998, the 27th debutant blooded by Schmidt across his three-year tenure.

Billy Pollard brought up the half-century with another rolling maul try in the 64th minute before the match descended into chaos. A scuffle near the touchline spilled into the Italian technical area, with Amatosero in the thick of proceedings. Italian prop Marco Riccioni, who had already been substituted, charged back onto the field and threw a punch, earning a red card and an ejection from the stadium. It was an ugly moment that summed up Italy’s frustrations on a miserable tour.

The visitors were denied a consolation try when Pablo Dimcheff appeared to score from a maul but was ruled to have dropped the ball by the TMO. Instead, it was Australia who had the final word. Ben Donaldson capped a spectacular team try on the siren, finishing off a move that began in Australia’s own half and featured Rob Valetini charging through four defenders in a barnstorming run. Donaldson converted his own try to make it 57–10.

For Schmidt, whose win rate as Wallabies coach now sits at 38.7 per cent after 12 wins from 31 Tests, it was a fitting farewell. “Just delighted to finish well,” he said. “I’m happy, but I’m never satisfied. There’s always going to be regrets, but I am delighted that, for the sixth time in a row, we’ve had a full house. The people are coming back, we have to confirm it’s worth it.”

The coach reflected on the progress made since taking over a squad shattered by their 2023 Rugby World Cup exit. “If you look back two and a half years, I think we’ve definitely made progress,” Schmidt said. “The players are more connected, the leaders are more vocal, and they are the critical mass internally. Our set piece is getting better. Our fundamentals around the carry-clean, our connection, and our defence – they were all in evidence tonight.”

Wilson was equally effusive. “We were clinical, we had a lot of positive moments in a row and our discipline’s improved,” the captain said. “It’s really special, all three of these July series games being sold out. We’re feeling the support, and tonight was a reward for some really good supporters.”

For Italy, the result completed a miserable Nations Championship campaign that saw them lose all three fixtures without their suspended head coach Gonzalo Quesada, who watched from his hotel after being banned under World Rugby’s new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process. Captain Lamaro did not hide his disappointment. “Gutted. Very disappointed with the result and performance we put in and nothing more, honestly,” he said. “You have to face yourself, look in the mirror and really think about your stuff.”

The Wallabies now hand the reins to Les Kiss, who takes over with a first assignment against Japan in Osaka on 8 August. The Schmidt era is over, but the final act in Perth has given Australian rugby something it desperately needed: hope.

Teams

Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan, 8 Harry Wilson (c), 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 James Slipper, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Miles Amatosero, 20 Fraser McReight, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Filipo Daugunu.

Italy: 15 Lorenzo Pani, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Paolo Odogwu, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 6 Riccardo Favretto, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Giulio Marini, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Muhamed Hasa.
Replacements: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Ion Neculai, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Alessandro Ortombina, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Giacomo Da Re, 23 Leonardo Marin.

Match details

Australia 57 (Tries: Canham 3, Wright, Paenga-Amosa, Bell, Ikitau, Pollard, Donaldson; Conversions: Lonergan 5/7, Meredith 0/1, Donaldson 1/1)
Italy 10 (Tries: Lamaro, Ioane; Conversions: Garbisi 0/2)
Half-time: 38–5
Attendance: 19,268 (sell-out, record Wallabies crowd at HBF Park)

Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)

France completed their Southern Hemisphere Nations Championship campaign with a clinical 42-15 bonus-point victory over Japan in Tokyo, running in six tries to win comfortably despite two late yellow cards.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY FRANCE: France win a penalty at the breakdown and find touch in the right corner. The rolling maul powers forward and Maxime Lamothe crashes over at the back. Maxime Lucu converts from the right sideline. (0-7)

6 mins: Lenni Nouchi and Florian Verhaeghe both leave the field for head injury assessments, replaced temporarily by Killian Tixeront and Hugo Auradou.

10 mins – PENALTY JAPAN: Takuro Matsunaga slots from in front, 15m out, after Emmanuel Meafou is penalised for offside. (3-7)

15 mins – TRY JAPAN: France kick long and Ryunosuke Ito counters brilliantly down the left, drawing two defenders on halfway before releasing Kippei Ishida on the wing. Ishida burns the defence and races clear to score in the corner. Matsunaga pushes the conversion wide. (8-7)

17 mins: Verhaeghe and Nouchi return from their HIAs, replacing Auradou and Tixeront.

19 mins – TRY FRANCE: The French forwards hammer away from close range with pick and goes before the ball is released out the back. Matthieu Jalibert spots a gap and charges straight through to score right of the posts. Lucu converts. (8-14)

19 mins – YELLOW CARD JAPAN: Harry Hockings is shown yellow for slowing the ball down in the ruck in the build-up to Jalibert’s try.

23 mins – TRY FRANCE: France find touch in the right corner and the rolling maul comes on again. The pack rumbles over the line with Alexandre Roumat dotting down at the back. Lucu converts. (8-21)

30 mins – TRY FRANCE: Lamothe throws to the lineout and the drive is set. Lamothe peels off and gets over the gainline before offloading to Lucu, who runs a brilliant line, fends the final defender and reaches out to score down the left. Lucu converts his own try. (8-28)

36 mins – TRY JAPAN: Naoto Saito takes a quick tap penalty and feeds Sojiro Otsuka five metres out. Otsuka burrows low and hard through the defence to force it down left of the posts. Matsunaga converts. (15-28)

Half-time: Japan 15-28 France. France were a class above for most of the opening 40 minutes, with their rolling maul causing constant problems and their backs punishing Japan whenever space appeared. Lucu controlled the tempo superbly while Meafou was immense in the collisions. Japan battled hard, with Ishida’s brilliant counter-attacking try the highlight, and Otsuka’s late score keeping them within touching distance at the break.

43 mins – TRY FRANCE: Yoram Moefana attacks on halfway and links with Roumat, who bursts into open space. He is dragged down metres short before Lucu drops an inside ball to Jalibert, who glides through the gap to score under the posts. Romain Ntamack converts. (15-35)

51 mins – TRY FRANCE: France plug the right corner again. Auradou wins the lineout and the drive comes on, stopped just short. Lamothe takes it off the back and muscles through the defence to score his second. Lucu converts. (15-42)

58 mins – YELLOW CARD FRANCE: Jalibert is shown yellow for shoulder contact to the head of Samisoni Tua.

63 mins: Tiennan Costley appears to power over for Japan but the try is ruled out for a double movement.

77 mins – YELLOW CARD FRANCE: Marko Gazzotti is shown yellow for cynically entering the ruck from the side after a Japan line break by Matsunaga.

Full-time: Japan 15-42 France

Match report

France brought the curtain down on their Southern Hemisphere Nations Championship campaign in emphatic fashion, overwhelming Japan 42-15 at the National Stadium in Tokyo to secure a bonus-point victory and top spot in the Northern Hemisphere standings after the opening phase of the inaugural tournament. It was a performance built on forward power and clinical finishing, with hooker Maxime Lamothe and full-back Matthieu Jalibert each scoring twice in a display that confirmed Les Bleus as genuine contenders heading into the November window.

The result means France finish the July series with two wins from three, having recovered impressively from their narrow 34-32 opening-round defeat to New Zealand in Christchurch with consecutive victories over Australia and Japan. Crucially, the two bonus points they collected in that loss to the All Blacks have proved decisive in the standings, lifting them above Ireland, who failed to take any bonus from their own defeat in New Zealand. Japan end this leg at 1-2, their opening victory over Italy followed by successive losses to Ireland and France, though Eddie Jones’ side showed enough to suggest they will be competitive when the tournament resumes in November.

From the outset, the pattern of the match was clear. France’s rolling maul, the weapon that had troubled Australia a week earlier, proved utterly devastating against a Japanese pack that simply could not contain it. Lamothe crashed over from the back of a powerful lineout drive inside three minutes to set the tone. Japan responded brilliantly through Kippei Ishida’s spectacular counter-attacking try on 15 minutes, Ryunosuke Ito sparking the move with a devastating break from deep before releasing the winger, who scorched down the left touchline to put the hosts in front. It was a moment that lit up the National Stadium and demonstrated the Brave Blossoms’ capacity for breathtaking attack.

France’s response was immediate and ruthless. Their forwards battered away at close range before the ball was released out the back to Jalibert, who spotted the gap and charged through to score right of the posts. The try came at a double cost for Japan, with lock Harry Hockings shown yellow for slowing the ball in the build-up. From that point, with Japan reduced to 14, France accelerated. Alexandre Roumat, starting at number eight in place of the injured Oscar Jegou, drove over from the back of yet another rolling maul on 23 minutes, before captain Maxime Lucu produced a moment of individual brilliance on the half-hour mark. After Lamothe peeled from the maul and made ground, Lucu took the offload and ran a superb line, fending the final defender to score down the left and secure the bonus point before the interval.

Lucu’s influence extended well beyond his try. The scrum-half controlled the tempo throughout, kicking five conversions from five and finishing with 15 points for the afternoon. Emmanuel Meafou was immense in the collisions and at the breakdown, while Theo Attissogbe was imperious in the aerial contest, winning a succession of high-ball duels that significantly blunted Japan’s kicking game. It was a collective forward effort that laid the platform for everything France achieved.

Japan refused to go quietly in the first half, with loosehead Sojiro Otsuka burrowing over from a quick tap penalty four minutes before the break to cut the deficit to 15-28. The home crowd, vocal and passionate throughout, roared their approval, but the margin was always likely to prove too great against a side of France’s quality.

Any lingering Japanese hopes evaporated within minutes of the restart. Yoram Moefana carried hard on halfway and linked with Roumat, who burst into open space before being hauled down. Lucu was there in support, dropping an inside ball to Jalibert, who glided through the gap to score under the posts for his second try and his third of the tour. Romain Ntamack converted. Eight minutes later, Lamothe completed his own double, taking the ball off the back of a stalled maul and powering through the defence to make it 42-15. The contest was effectively over as a spectacle.

France’s discipline wobbled in the final quarter. Jalibert was shown yellow on 58 minutes for shoulder contact to the head of Samisoni Tua, and Marko Gazzotti followed him to the sin bin in the 77th minute for cynically entering a ruck from the side. Japan, to their credit, continued to press, with Tiennan Costley appearing to power over in the 63rd minute only for the try to be ruled out for a double movement. But the hosts could not breach the French line in the second half, and the final whistle confirmed a comprehensive victory.

There was one concern for France beyond the yellow cards. Flanker Lenni Nouchi departed with what appeared to be an ankle injury on 63 minutes, a potential blow ahead of the November window. The Montpellier back-rower had earlier passed a head injury assessment in the first half after copping an elbow.

Captain Lucu reflected on a satisfying conclusion to the tour. “We are satisfied to come away with five points,” he said. “We saw that Ireland didn’t get any, so it’s a very good result for us. We managed to control this match from start to finish. Despite all our preparation, the heat and humidity really surprised us, but the forwards did an enormous job and carried us throughout the match.”

Jalibert, who has thrived in his new role at full-back alongside Ntamack at fly-half, was equally content. “What I want is to be on the pitch and enjoy myself. That’s what has been happening for a little while now with the France team,” he said. “I am very happy to have taken the decision to come despite a complicated season and a lot of fatigue.” On the full-back experiment, the Bordeaux playmaker added: “It’s a slightly different positioning that gives me more space with the ball and a second read. It’s something that can only help me progress, but I hope to stay at 10.”

France now turn their attention to November, when they will host Fiji, South Africa and Argentina at home with their destiny in their own hands. With 12 points from three matches and a growing understanding between Ntamack and Jalibert, Fabien Galthie’s side head into the break with confidence and momentum. Japan, meanwhile, face a demanding Northern Hemisphere tour with matches against Wales, England and Scotland still to come. The Brave Blossoms showed enough across this campaign, particularly in their efforts against Ireland, to suggest they will not be easy opponents for anyone.

Teams

Japan: 15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kazuma Ueda, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Samisoni Tua, 11 Kippei Ishida, 10 Ryunosuke Ito, 9 Naoto Saito, 8 Jack Cornelsen, 7 Ben Gunter, 6 Esei Ha’angana, 5 Warner Dearns (capt), 4 Harry Hockings, 3 Keijiro Tamefusa, 2 Hayate Era, 1 Sojiro Otsuka.
Replacements: 16 Kenji Sato, 17 Takato Okabe, 18 Izi Sword, 19 Michael Stolberg, 20 Michael Leitch, 21 Tiennan Costley, 22 Taira Main, 23 Shunsuke Uenobo.

France: 15 Matthieu Jalibert, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Maxime Lucu (capt), 8 Alexandre Roumat, 7 Marko Gazzotti, 6 Lenni Nouchi, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Regis Montagne, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Tom Staniforth, 21 Killian Tixeront, 22 Paul Graou, 23 Kalvin Gourgues.

Match details

Japan 15 (Tries: Ishida, Otsuka; Conversions: Matsunaga 1/2; Penalties: Matsunaga 1/1)
France 42 (Tries: Lamothe 2, Jalibert 2, Roumat, Lucu; Conversions: Lucu 5/5, Ntamack 1/1)
Half-time: 15-28

Venue: National Stadium, Tokyo
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)