Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms head to the Principality Stadium in a must-win encounter for Wales
Watch Wales v Japan today, in a match that could have a massive bearing on December’s draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
These sides are ranked 12th and 13th in the world rankings and, with 12th spot enough to secure a place in the second pot of seeds, both sides will be desperate to lay down a marker. But with Wales on a run of just one win in 20 – against, coincidentally, this evening’s visitors – there’s no guarantee of the home victory supporters would once have taken for granted.
Rugby World’s in-depth guide brings you all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Wales v Japan online or on TV, with a VPN if you’re travelling overseas. Head to the end of the article for a match preview, team line-ups and the officials.
Read more: For details of other Quilter Nations Series matches, we have a guide to watching the Autumn Internationals around the world.
Wales v Japan: Essential information
– Date: Saturday 15 November 2025
– Kick-off time: 5.40pm GMT (local) / 12.40pm ET / 4.40am AEDT (Sunday)
– FREE STREAMS: BBC iPlayer / S4C Clic (UK)
– TV & Streaming: TNT Sports / Discovery+ (UK & Ireland) / Peacock (US) / Stan Sport (Australia)
– Watch from anywhere: Get NordVPN’s Black Friday deal
Watch Wales v Japan in the UK
As with all of Wales’ home games this autumn, Wales v Japan is available to watch for free (with Welsh commentary only) on the BBC iPlayer streaming service as well as S4C Clic and the S4C TV channel. Coverage starts at 5.30pm GMT ahead of the 5.40pm kick-off.
If you want to watch the match in English you’ll need to head to TNT Sports, where the match is available on both the TNT Sports 1 TV channel and the Discovery+ streaming platform (£30.99 per month).
Going to be away from home this weekend? A VPN can help you watch your usual streaming services, even when you’re overseas. You can learn more below…
Worldwide streaming options for Wales v Japan
- United States: US-based rugby fans can watch every Autumn Nations Series match on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. Kick-off is 12.40pm ET / 9.40am PT today. You’ll need to sign up for either the Premium service ($10.99 per month) or Premium Plus ($16.99 per month). Both services get you access to the rest of the Autumn Nations Series, Premier League soccer, and a selection of top movies and TV shows.
- South Africa: SuperSport is showing Wales v Japan live streams in South Africa, with the match getting underway at 7.40pm SAST this evening. You have the option to watch SuperSport via DStv or streaming.
- Australia: Fans in Oz can watch Wales v Japan and all the other Quilter Nations Series games on Stan Sport, which costs $20 a month on top of a base Stan plan ($12 a month). Kick-off is 4.40am AEDT on Sunday morning.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ is showing Wales v Japan in New Zealand. Subscriptions to Sky Sport Now are available from $54.99 per month, but day passes are available for $29.99. The game kicks off at 6.40am NZDT on Sunday morning.
Watch Wales v Japan from anywhere
Travelling overseas this weekend? The good news is that you don’t need to miss out on your usual Wales v Japan live stream. By using a VPN (or Virtual Private Network), you can avoid the geo-blocking restrictions that might otherwise get in the way of watching your usual TV services when you’re away from home.
This is because VPNs have the useful ability to change your IP address, making your laptop, smartphone or tablet appear to be back home. This means you can still tune into the Principality Stadium clash, even if you’re thousands of miles away from your sitting room.
The tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide reckon that NordVPN is currently the best VPN available, thanks to its top-notch streaming and security features. You also get the peace of mind of a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a great deal this Black Friday…
NordVPN Black Friday deal
– 77% off + 3 months FREE
– Unblocks Peacock, Discovery+
Rugby World readers can take advantage of an amazing NordVPN deal throughout the Autumn Nations Series. In this Black Friday promotion, you’ll get up to 77% off two year plans, plus an extra three months thrown in for free.
Wales v Japan match preview
Not so long ago, this would have been the kind of game where a head coach would rest Wales’ big guns to give the kids a run-out. Those days are a distant memory, however, as the Brave Blossoms’ trip to the Principality Stadium is now a must-win.
The two sides currently sit 12th and 13th in the world rankings, so – with 12th place required to secure a place in the second seeding pot in December’s World Cup draw – this effectively amounts to a play-off.
This will be the third time these teams have met this year, with honours currently even – Wales’ win in July’s second Test is their sole victory in their last 20 matches. New head coach Steve Tandy (and the whole of Wales) will be lamenting the loss of star man Jac Morgan to injury, forcing a back row reshuffle in which Leicester’s Olly Cracknell makes his first start at number 8. Louis Rees-Zammit (back from NFL) is also selected to start on the wing after coming on as a substitute in the defeat to Argentina.
Former England boss Eddie Jones will require little motivation as he brings his Japan side to Cardiff. They were comprehensively beaten by South Africa at Wembley two weeks ago and Ireland in Dublin last weekend, but will sense the opportunity for an upset under the Principality Stadium roof – if, given the current state of Welsh rugby, you can still call it an upset.
Wales v Japan teams and officials
Wales
Blair Murray, Louis-Rees Zammit, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams, Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (captain), Archie Griffin, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Aaron Wainwright, Alex Mann, Olly Cracknell
Replacements:
Liam Belcher, Rhys Carré, Keiron Assiratti, Freddie Thomas, Taine Plumtree, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Nick Tompkins
Japan
Yoshitaka Yazaki, Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Charlie Lawrence, Tomoki Osada, Lee Seung-sin, Naoto Saito; Kenta Kobayashi, Kenji Sato, Kejiro Tamefusa, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Dearns captain), Jack Cornelsen, Kanji Shimokawa, Faulua Makisi
Replacements:
Shodai Hirao, Sho Furuhata, Shuhei Takeuchi, Harry Hockings, Tyler Paul, Kenta Fukuda, Shinya Komura, Kazuma Ueda
Matthew Carley (England) is the referee, assisted by Nic Berry (Australia) and Anthony Woodthorpe (England). The TMO is Andrew Jackson (England).
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
- Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
- Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.