Nick Champion de Crespigny Leads Wallabies to Victory in Japan

Nick Champion de Crespigny marked his debut as Wallabies captain by scoring a crucial try, leading Australia to a tense 19-15 win against Japan in Tokyo. The match, played under challenging rainy conditions, set the tone for Australia's end-of-season tour.

Though Japan showed resilience, nearly clinching a surprise victory, handling errors allowed Australia's more disciplined play to secure the win. The match saw second-half tries from Shuhei Takeuchi and Ben Gunter, bringing Japan close, but not close enough to surpass the experienced Australian side.

The contest was highly charged, especially since it was Australia's first chance to face Eddie Jones—now Japan's coach—since he left them post the 2023 World Cup. While the rain disrupted Japan's usual agile play, a focused Australian team capitalized on these conditions to maintain their perfect record against the Brave Blossoms.