Wales Women secured a 17-0 victory over Japan in Tokyo, marking their second win of the current WX Global Series window after a previous victory over South Africa.
Tries from Seren Lockwood, who scored twice, and Kelsey Jones gave head coach Sean Lynn's side the win in the Japanese capital. The shutout was the first time Wales have kept their opponents scoreless since November 2018, when they thrashed Hong Kong 65-0.
First-half lead and defensive resilience
Wales went into the break 7-0 up thanks to Lockwood's first try, a sniping effort from close range converted by Freya Bell in the 35th minute. In tough conditions in the Far East, and on the occasion of co-captain Alex Callender's 50th cap, Wales had to dig deep.
A solid defensive effort in the second period gave Wales the platform for Jones to score from a lineout in the 65th minute. Lockwood secured her brace late on, barging over out wide.
Injury concern and post-match reaction
The result came with serious concern, however, as Freya Bell left the field on a stretcher in the second half with a serious leg injury, tainting the victory.
Co-captain Kate Williams told the BBC post-match: "I'm so proud of the girls. We knew Japan would be tough and there were ups and downs throughout the game."
"So I'm really proud of the way the girls stuck together in the tough times, stayed solid in defence and then took our chances when they came. We knew Japan would be tough at the set-piece so that's something we have focused on all week. We stayed on top in the key moments of the game. We're excited to see how we can build on this for next week."
Lynn praises squad effort
Lynn said he was most pleased with the whole matchday squad effort, adding: "It was a good result. The whole 23 were outstanding in my opinion. The bench made a really good impact so that was good to see."
"The support has been amazing out here in Japan so that's been great to see and we really appreciate it. Especially after the USA game we wanted to focus on our possession and territory game. Our coaches have been working really hard on that. I'd like to thank everyone again for their fantastic support here."
The two sides meet again in Kumagaya next Saturday.
