Louis Rees-Zammit helps edge Wales to unconvincing victory against Japan
Wales 28-21 Japan
Adams scores twice as Wales secure third win in five Tests
Josh Adams grabbed two tries â and Louis âÂÂRees-Zammit rounded off the scoring as Wales claimed a bonus-point 28-21 victory over Japan in â the Nations â Championship, but there will be much for their coach, Steve â Tandy, to ponder after a lacklustre display.
It was a third win â in five Tests for Wales, an âÂÂimprovement on the âÂÂharrowing 18-match âÂÂlosing streak that followed the 2023 World âÂÂCup, but in a game that lacked quality in general, the home side struggled at the set-piece in particular.
The prop Archie Griffin also scored tries for Wales, who will bank the win âÂÂbut know bigger tests await when they host New Zealand and Australia in the next two weekends.
Quick GuideSouth Africa thump Italy to stay perfect in Nations Championship
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Springboks smash Italy
South Africa strolled past an injury-hit â Italy with a 66-7 win in SaturdayâÂÂs Nations Championship meeting in â Turin, where the â fly-half âÂÂSacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored the first of nine Springbok tries and added â another 21 points from a perfect kicking display.
South Africa ran in six â tries in an utterly dominant opening half. âÂÂHooker Malcolm Marx âÂÂwent over âÂÂtwice, adding to scores by Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morne van âÂÂden Berg and the captain Siya Kolisi and Damian Willemse, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicking all six conversions having opened the scoring with a penalty.
Wilco Louw added another try after âÂÂthe break before Italy finally got off the mark with Federico RuzzaâÂÂs âÂÂtry converted by Tommaso Allan. Springbok wing Ethan Hooker ran in the final score on the stroke of full-time.
South Africa had â claimed maximum points from their three July fixtures âÂÂto âÂÂtop the Southern âÂÂHemisphere group ahead of New Zealand âÂÂon points âÂÂdifference and âÂÂthey âÂÂadded to that total against Italy ahead of the All Blacks facing Scotland. Reuters
Japan showed energy â and tenacity in defence but, especially in âÂÂthe âÂÂsecond half, battled âÂÂto get into the home sideâÂÂs âÂÂ22 âÂÂas scores âÂÂfor the âÂÂflanker Ben Gunter, lock Warner Dearns and replacement scrum-half Kenta Fukuda kept them in the contest.