Japan beats Italy 27-10 at Nations Championship in Tokyo

Japan defeated Italy 27-10 in the Nations Championship match held at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo. It was Japan's first victory over Italy since 2018. Japan built a 17‑10 lead at halftime and extended it in the second half, scoring a try by Ben Gunter after 47 minutes. Takuro Matsunaga contributed 17 points, including a try, conversion and penalty, while debutant fly‑half Ryunosuke Ito assisted in the scoring. Italy opened the scoring through Juan Ignacio Brex after a pass from Paolo Garbisi, but were unable to respond after Japan's disciplined defence and a possession advantage that reached 81% in the early second half. Italy’s coach Gonzalo Quesada said his side was “tired and physically challenged, and losing 25 possession makes it hard to create chances.” Japan will face Ireland in Australia in the next round, while Italy travels to New Zealand.

The match highlighted Japan’s growing strength in international rugby and marked a significant swing in the tournament standings, moving Japan temporarily into third place behind New Zealand and Ireland.