# Wales shut out Japan 17-0 in Tokyo as patience and late power spoil Sakura XV centenary Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com) Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/rugby/wales-shut-out-japan-17-0-in-tokyo-as-patience-and-late-power-spoil-sakura-xv-ce Language: en Published: 2026-10-25T15:02:01.699+00:00 Updated: 2026-10-25T15:02:01.809683+00:00 > Seren Lockwood scored twice and Kelsey Jones once as Wales shut out Japan 17-0 in rain-soaked Tokyo, spoiling the Sakura XV's centennial Test before the rematch in Kumagaya. ## TL;DR - Wales beat Japan 17-0 in Tokyo in the WXV Global Series. - Lockwood scored twice; Jones added the other try. - Freya Bell converted the opener, then left with a knee injury. - Japan suffered a fifth straight loss in 2026 on their centenary day. - The sides meet again on 31 October in Kumagaya. ## Key points - Wales beat Japan 17-0 in Tokyo in the WXV Global Series, leading 7-0 at half-time. - Seren Lockwood scored twice and Kelsey Jones once; Freya Bell converted the opening try. - Freya Bell was stretchered off with a serious-looking knee injury in the 53rd minute. - Japan's fifth straight loss in 2026 and their first scoreless game since 22 August 2017. - The match marked the JRFU's 100th anniversary and the women's 100th Test. - The sides meet again on 31 October in Kumagaya. Wales ground out a 17-0 win over Japan in Tokyo on Saturday, turning patience, defence and late set-piece power into a second victory of their WXV Global Series campaign. For more than half an hour, in rain, swirling wind and humidity at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, there was nothing to separate the Sakura XV from Sean Lynn's side. The first half was a test of nerve. Japan started with intent but were hampered by indiscipline: flanker Nami Asari was sent to the sin bin after six minutes, and Wales thought they had struck from a five-metre lineout when Kelsey Jones crossed, only for the try to be ruled out for obstruction, with Jorja Aiono's positioning in the maul called into question. ![Savannah Bodman on debut for Japan against Wales](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792940514342-dy71qs-rugby-inside1-2026-10-25-evening.jpg) Japan had their own near miss when prop Wako Kitano was held up over the line, with Freya Bell and Sisilia Tuipulotu combining to keep her out. The hosts enjoyed much of the possession, with Hinata Komaki, Masami Kawamura and Sophie Langford prominent and debutant number eight Savannah Bodman impressing. Yet for all that territory, Japan could not turn pressure into points. The breakthrough came in the 35th minute. From a lineout, a smart interchange at the back sent scrum-half Seren Lockwood darting through from short range, and Bell's conversion gave Wales a 7-0 lead at the break. It was the only conversion Wales would land from their three tries, but it felt like a significant reward for persistence in conditions that disrupted handling and kicking for both sides. ![Wales in action against Japan at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792940518427-7ptfe7-rugby-inside2-2026-10-25-evening.jpg) The second half brought a worrying interruption. In the 53rd minute, Bell, the centre who had converted the opening try and been central to Wales' best first-half work, fell awkwardly in a tackle and was stretchered off with what looked like a serious knee injury after a lengthy delay. She has since gone for a scan, with an update expected early the following week. The reshuffle that followed proved decisive. Courtney Keight came on, Keira Bevan moved, Lleucu George came on to steer territory with her boot, and Lockwood shifted to the wing. Experienced forwards Gwenllian Pyrs, Bethan Lewis, Gwen Crabb and Georgia Evans added weight up front, and in the 65th minute Jones drove over from a lineout maul for a try that stood this time. Even then, Japan did not fold. Moments after Jones had scored, a kick ahead after a turnover looked to have given Lockwood her second try, only for Jones to be found offside at an earlier ruck. Instead, Wales' late scrum dominance proved decisive: a long-range pass from George gave Lockwood room out wide, and she held off the last defender to score three minutes from time, sealing a first Welsh clean sheet since a 65-0 win over Hong Kong in November 2018. For Japan, the defeat stung because of the occasion. The match was played on the day the Japan Rugby Football Union celebrated its 100th anniversary and the women's side played its 100th Test, and it was the first meeting between these sides on Japanese soil. Captain Moe Tsukui said: "I'm gutted not to have gotten the result in this centennial game, but there is more to come from us. We weren't able to get the best out of opportunities tonight and couldn't execute, so that's the main work on for next weekend." The numbers were stark. It was Japan's fifth straight loss in 2026, and the first time they had been held scoreless since 22 August 2017, when Italy beat them in the pool stage of the Women's Rugby World Cup. Head coach Toshizumi Kitagawa said: "We knew Wales would be aggressive at the breakdown, and we worked in that all week. We are under pressure and couldn't execute what we had planned for. We need to work on our set piece and showcase the attacking style we want to play." That set piece was where the game slipped away. One positive from the European tour had been Japan's lineout and maul, but both faltered in the rain and against good Welsh defence, and at scrum time the Japanese pack, which had struggled against Italy and Ireland, conceded too many penalties. There were positives, notably starting debutants Bodman and Sophie Akiko Langford, but handling errors and repeated turnovers undid promising positions. Wales will take the win for what it was: not a classic, but proof they can win ugly. Captain Kate Williams, named player of the match, said: "I'm so proud of the girls, and Japan were tough the entire game. We stayed solid in the tough parts, and were able to execute in their 22m area. Next week I'm excited again, as I think we're evenly matched." Lynn praised all 23 players, saying the breakdown work had paid off. The context makes that satisfaction understandable. Wales began the year with a Six Nations wooden spoon and a winless World Cup behind them, but a friendly win over the Barbarians in June and an eight-try, 50-19 win over South Africa in Cardiff last month have changed the mood. The sides meet again on Saturday 31 October in Kumagaya, in the final Sakura XV Test of the year, and on Saturday's evidence the rematch should be just as tight as the first. Mentions: Wales women, Japan women, Sakura XV, WXV Global Series, Seren Lockwood, Kelsey Jones, Freya Bell, Kate Williams, Moe Tsukui, Sean Lynn, Toshizumi Kitagawa, Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Japan Rugby Football Union ## Sources - [rugbypass.com](https://www.rugbypass.com/news/japan-v-wales-three-talking-points-as-sean-lynns-side-claim-tokyo-victory/) - [rugbyasia247.com](https://www.rugbyasia247.com/wales-continue-sakura-xv-winless-run-in-wxv-global-series-2026/) - [sportradar.com](https://sportradar.com/?q=2572547184387726713) - [worldrightnowlive.com](https://worldrightnowlive.com/story/wales-grind-out-frustrating-wxv-win-against-japan)