Overview
- Japan trailed 3–14 at halftime before sharpening its attack after the break.
- A lineout move involving Michael Leitch created the platform for Takeuchi Shuhei to score and reduce the deficit.
- Leitch reached 90 caps and left to loud applause from 41,612 at National Stadium late in the second half.
- The loss extended Japan's head-to-head record against Australia to 0–7 against the two-time world champions.
- Team comments described the narrow margin as evidence of growth among younger players heading toward the 2027 World Cup.