A win Les Kiss will take and forget
Down to 14 men before half-time. Clinging to a three-point lead as the clock went red. Les Kiss got the result he needed on Saturday, and not much else. Australia held off Japan 35-32 at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, and the new head coach spent the closing minutes watching through his fingers.
The trouble started with Miles Amatosero. The lock caught Japan captain Warner Dearns high in the first half and saw red, leaving the Wallabies a man short for more than 40 minutes against a side coached by Eddie Jones.
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Jones nearly lands another blow
Jones knows this Australian setup better than anyone. He coached the Wallabies before his messy exit, and his Japan team hunted the breakdown and kept the scoreboard ticking. Australia built a 35-25 cushion, then watched it shrink. Dearns crashed over in the 78th minute to drag Japan within three at 35-32.
The last play belonged to Japan. They won a turnover deep in Australian territory with seconds left, sniffing an upset that would have followed Kiss around for months. It never came. Max Jorgensen gathered under pressure and hammered the ball into touch to end it.
What it means for the Kiss era
Kiss took over from Joe Schmidt with a clear brief. Build something real before Australia hosts the 2027 World Cup on home soil. A one-point win over Japan, playing with 14 men for half the match, is not the statement anyone drew up. It is still a win, and a first one, and those count when a new coach is trying to set a tone.
Japan leave with plenty to build on and nothing to show for it. Jones will point to the second half, the fight, the near miss. Kiss will point to the number in the results column and get to work.
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