In a match that delivered the desired result but left much to be desired in performance, Wales secured a 28-21 bonus-point victory over Japan in Cardiff on Saturday. However, captain Dewi Lake did not mince words, stating that the team let themselves down in certain aspects of the game.

A Win, But Not Without Frustration

Josh Adams crossed the try line twice, while prop Archie Griffin and wing Louis Rees-Zammit also scored, helping Wales to their second win in four Nations Championship matches. The triumph was witnessed by 52,425 fans at the Principality Stadium, yet the mood was far from celebratory as players and coaches acknowledged the shortcomings.

"There were massive parts of that game where we let ourselves down," Lake said. "Getting into camp, we said we were going to do things that we probably didn't do against Japan. That's disappointing, but this is a group that wants to grow and will challenge each other."

The victory marked only the fourth win in Steve Tandy's 13 Tests as head coach, and two of those have come against Japan. Given Wales' recent struggles, including a record 18 consecutive Test defeats, Lake emphasised the importance of winning. "A win is massive for this group, for the confidence and trust we'll get in each other," he added. "We were happy with the win, and it's something we've not done often enough, so I am proud of the boys."

Tough Tests Ahead

Wales remain fifth in the northern hemisphere table and face a daunting challenge in the coming weeks. New Zealand, fresh from a victory over Scotland, visit Cardiff next Saturday, followed by Australia on 21 November. Lake knows that the performance against Japan will not suffice against such formidable opponents. "If you look at the two Test matches, we did things today that weren't good enough to compete in those games," he said. "We'll have to get a lot right next week and fix some stuff."

Head coach Tandy echoed his captain's sentiments, acknowledging that while the bonus-point win was a positive start, the performance left room for improvement. "It's good to start the campaign with a bonus-point win, but I can't run away from the performance when I talk about it," Tandy said. "There are elements we definitely need to improve. I thought we'd be better than that in some elements. There was good stuff from us in terms of the line breaks and how we opened Japan up, but we weren't ruthless enough. We'll definitely have to do that for the next couple of games, but it helps to review after a win."

Japan Left Ruing Missed Chances

Japan head coach Eddie Jones, returning to Cardiff where he once coached Wales, was left to ponder what might have been. "That could have been a historic win for us, but you've got to be good enough to take advantage of those mistakes," Jones said. "We weren't quite good enough, and it was certainly a missed opportunity."

Jones praised his young team's effort but highlighted their lack of clinical finishing. "If you watch rugby now, once you get in the 22 and if you don't take points from that, that's the difference in the game," he explained. "We had three opportunities but we didn't take chances, and Wales did. Their points-per-entry was higher than ours."

The former England coach also raised questions about the refereeing of New Zealand's Paul Williams at the breakdown, though he did so with a wry smile. "I hope I'm not going to get in trouble for this, but there was one penalty for not supporting your weight at the breakdown, and it was against us," Jones said. "Anyone watching that game, can you think there was just one ruck where the supporting player was off his feet? That can be the difference between winning and losing. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying sometimes you don't get the rub of the green. That can happen. You've got to suck it up and get on with it. Actually, maybe I am complaining!"

Japan will now travel to face Jones' former side England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, next Saturday, hoping to convert their chances and claim a historic scalp.