Les Kiss’s men fill a Rugby Championship-shaped hole with a trip to Osaka.
Watch Japan v Australia as new Wallabies boss Les Kiss leads out his side for the first time at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium.
Under Kiss’s predecessor, Joe Schmidt, Australia were one of the most unpredictable sides on the planet, almost as capable of beating the big guns as they were of slipping up against lesser sides.
But while he won just 12 of his 31 Tests at the helm, there’s no question the Wallabies improved massively under Schmidt’s tenure, as he harnessed the supreme ball-playing talents of his players. Indeed, with no Rugby Championship this year – and the dominant Springboks and All Blacks distracted with the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour – this may be a case of right fixture, right time for as he gets to know his new squad.
The Brave Blossoms have never beaten Australia in a Test, but definitely have the ability to give the visitors a tricky evening in Osaka. A win over Italy followed by defeats to Ireland and France was arguably par for their inaugural Nations Championship campaign, but Japan boss Eddie Jones – who quit as Wallabies head coach after a dismal 2023 World Cup campaign – will definitely have a point to prove against his former employers.
– Date: Saturday 8 August, 2026
– Kick-off time: 11.05am BST / 7.05pm JST (local) / 8.05pm AEST / 10.05pm NZST / 12.05pm CET / 12.05pm SAST / 6.05am EDT / 3.05am PDT
– Live streams: Stan Sport (Australia), Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
You can watch Japan v Wallabies live streams in Australia and New Zealand, but if you’re away from home right now you can still follow the action as it happens if you use a VPN. We’ve got all the details you need below. You’ll find team line-ups at the bottom of the page.
Watch Japan v Wallabies in Australia
Down under? You can watch a Japan v Australia live stream on Stan Sport, which is showing today’s match ad-free. The action kicks off at 8.05pm AEST this evening.
The service also has rights to loads of other rugby action, as well as Premier League and Champions League soccer. It costs $20 a month to add Stan Sport to your general Stan plan (starting at $9.99 a month).
Next week’s return fixture in Townsville will also be available for free on 9Now.
Stream Japan v Australia in New Zealand
Sky Sport NZ has the New Zealand rights to Japan v Wallabies live streams. The match gets underway at 10.05pm NZST on Saturday night.
You can subscribe to Sky Sport Now from $59.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.
Can I watch Japan v Australia in the UK?
Unfortunately there is no UK broadcaster confirmed for Saturday’s Japan v Australia clash. The good news, however, is that next weekend’s Wallabies v Brave Blossoms rematch in Townsville will be available on Sky Sports.
And if you’re an Aussie in the UK right now, remember you can use a VPN to access your usual Stan Sport service as if you were back home. Find out more below…
How to watch Japan v Wallabies from anywhere
Being away from home doesn’t have to stop you watching Japan v Australia. A VPN bypasses geo-blocking by changing your IP address, letting you stream the game as if you were at home.
The tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide rank NordVPN as world number one, thanks to its low price and unrivalled ability to unblock streaming services.
Japan v Australia teams and officials
Japan
Takuro Matsunaga, Kazuma Ueda, Dylan Riley, Samisoni Tua, Taira Main, Ryunosuke Ito; Naoto Saito, Takato Okabe, Hayate Era, Shuhei Takeuchi, Jack Cornelsen, Warner Dearns (captain), Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, Faulua Makisi
Replacements:
Mamoru Harada, Sojiro Otsuka, Keijiro Tamefusa, Harry Hockings, Michael Leitch, Tiennan Costley, Shunsuke Uenobo, Yoshitaka Yazaki
Australia
Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Hunter Paisami, Harry Potter, Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan; Aidan Ross, Josh Nasser, Allan Alaalatoa, Josh Canham, Miles Amatosero, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (captain)
Replacements:
Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Taniela Tupou, Jeremy Williams, Charlie Cale, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Isaac Henry
Eoghan Cross of Ireland is the referee for Japan v Australia, assisted by Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Morgan White (Hong Kong China). Richard Williams (New Zealand) is the TMO.
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