Wales labour to bonus-point win against Japan

Nations ChampionshipWales (21) 28Tries: Griffin, Adams 2, Rees-Zammit Cons: Costelow 3, Edwards Japan (14) 21Tries: Gunter, Dearns, Fukuda, Cons: Saito 2, KomuraWales resumed their Nations Championship campaign with an unconvincing bonus-point victory against Japan at the Principality Stadium.Tries from prop Archie Griffin, wing Josh Adams and the rejuvenated Louis Rees-Zammit gave Wales a 21-14 half-time lead, with Japan responding with scores from flanker Ben Gunter and lock Warner Dearns.In a nervy second half, Adams scored his second try before Japan replacement Kenta Fukuda ensured the visitors finished with a losing bonus point and presented a frantic finale which the hosts survived.Wales secured a fourth win for head coach Steve Tandy in 13 internationals and provided another narrow victory against Eddie Jones' Japan to mirror the last-gasp Jarrod Evans penalty that sealed a one-point win 12 months ago.Wales were indebted to strong ball-carrying performances from player-of-the-match Rees-Zammit, full-back Blair Murray, back-row duo Morgan and Wainwright and centre Eddie James.Tandy should be very concerned about their malfunctioning line-out with six lost, the way they allowed Japan to stay in the game, worrying indiscipline, and wasting attacking opportunities with silly handling errors.Wales and Japan have been frequent opponents in recent times, with this representing the fourth meeting between the two nations in 16 months.Tandy named a record nine English-based club players in his starting side, including six of the pack, with 12 of the 23-strong squad based outside of Wales, with seven alterations from the 43-0 defeat to South Africa in July.With Ryunosuke Ito unavailable because of his university commitments in Japan, Jones handed a debut to third-choice fly-half Riku Kitahara as part of a half-back pairing with co-captain Naoto Saito.Rees-Zammit, who has moved back to his favoured wing position after filling in at full-back, lifted the crowd with a searing early break.It laid the foundations for Lake to power towards the line before prop Griffin, who had not trained on Friday, flopped over for his first Test try, which Sam Costelow converted.Careless Wales play allowed Japan to steal possession from a home breakdown as scrum-half Tomos Williams was caught, with flanker Gunter outflanking Josh Adams and Alex Mann. Saito converted.Wales responded with a Wainwright break into the Japan 22, but they again failed to protect possession at the breakdown.Wales were fielding one of their biggest ever centre combinations in James, 6ft 4in (1.90m) and 16st 3lbs (103kg), and Max Llewellyn, 6ft 6in (1.96m) and 16st 12lbs (107kg).The pair had not started together at Test level before, as Tandy named his sixth different centre combination in his 13th international.James had two early bursts down the left-hand side but another knock-on, which was a fifth handling error in 15 minutes, demonstrated the inaccuracy of the opening quarter.Wales had an early second-half chance to score following a well-worked try as Costelow inexplicably kicked possession away with Murray and Rees-Zammit outside him.The home side also lost another attacking line-out in the Japan 22, while Wales were guilty of conceding more lazy penalties.Tandy's side were indebted to a Lake turnover penalty, which was the hooker's final contribution as the front row was replaced.Wainwright and Morgan again powered through the Japan defence but the attacking move again ended with another speculative Costelow cross-kick that Rees-Zammit was unable to gather.Wales continued to prove wasteful in their attacking endeavours while the line-out misfired.The home fans were relieved when the bonus-point try essentially sealed the victory, with Murray counter-attacking before feeding scrum-half Tomos Williams, with Adams finishing off the move.Japan were not finished, and a flowing move was finished by replacement scrum-half Fukuda to bring the visitors to within seven points.Adams calmed the nerves with a turnover penalty as Wales held on.When Wales analyse this underwhelming display, Tandy will know they have to improve dramatically before the All Blacks arrive next weekend.Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, James, Llewellyn, Adams; Costelow, Tomos Williams; Smith, Lake (capt), Griffin, Jenkins, Carter, Mann, Morgan, Wainwright.Replacements: Elias, Carre, Francis, Teddy Williams, Botham, Morgan-Williams, D Edwards, Hennessey.Japan: Ueda; Ishida, Riley, Tua, Burua; Kitahara, Saito (co-capt); Kamimori, Harada, Takeuchi, Hockings, Dearns (co-capt), Gunter, Shimokawa, Cornelsen.Replacements: Sato, Otsuka, Helu, Stolberg, Costley, Fukuda, Komura, Lee.Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)Television match official (TMO): Glenn Newman (New Zealand).