Had anyone walked into the Principality Stadium at the moment Welsh players were celebrating wildly at the final whistle, they might have thought something very significant had been achieved.
A trophy, maybe. Or perhaps an unexpected victory over one of the giant nations of the game.
A country like New Zealand, perhaps, who Wales play next and who have not lost to their hosts for 72 years.
It’s certainly true that something notable had been accomplished, but when it’s spelled out in black and white it looks a little more mundane than the wild-eyed euphoria might suggest.
By beating Japan - ranked 13th in the world - with Jarrod Evans’ last-ditch penalty, 12th-placed Wales have ensured they will stay in the top dozen and therefore remain in pot two for the World Cup draw on December 3.
Wales haven’t won the World Cup, but for that stranger watching the post-match reactions it would have been a reasonable assumption to think they had done.
That is not to accuse the players of over-reacting. There’s no need to call the “celebration police” since it’s reasonable for players who hadn’t won at home for two years to enjoy the moment and the relief.
But it’s a measure of Wales’ current standing that a win over Japan - who they shared a series with in the summer - can spark such scenes.
Still, Wales finally brought an end to their long, painful wait for a home victory with this dramatic stoppage time win, a contest that had swung wildly before being settled by the nerveless boot of replacement fly-half Evans.
Thrown into the action with only minutes remaining, Evans coolly struck the decisive penalty with the final kick, capping a frenetic second half in which momentum lurched back and forth and the lead changed hands six times.
His intervention not only halted Wales’ run of 10 successive home defeats stretching over two years, but also delivered head coach Steve Tandy his first triumph at the helm.
The afternoon had some high points for Wales, with Louis Rees-Zammit, Nick Tompkins and Dan Edwards all crossing.
But wing Kippei Ishida and number eight Faulua Makisi scored tries for Japan, with 13 points from the boot of fly-half Seungsin Lee, and Eddie Jones’ side deservedly led 23-21 with the clock ticking into the red.
In terms of passing, handling, speed of movement and thought, Japan were comfortably the better team.
But they are happier playing on the counter-attack than making the running themselves.
Not for the first time, when they went into the lead, they eventually lost composure, control, and the match.
The contest turned in the final seconds when replacement Harry Hockings was given a yellow card for a high tackle on Alex Mann.
The initial penalty was out of Evans’ range, but Wales drove forward to yield another penalty which the replacement nailed, despite the obvious pressure.
Edwards’ early try sparked a surge of noise inside Principality Stadium, but Japan—driven by the relentless carrying of number eight Faulua Makisi—fought their way into the contest.
They also had the sharpest back line runner on the field in centre Dylan Riley.
Makisi played a central role in two incisive attacks that culminated in Kippei Ishida touching down, and with 13 points from the boot of Seungsin Lee, the visitors held the edge for long stretches of the opening half.
Japan’s superiority was briefly undercut by disciplinary trouble.
Epineri Uluiviti was sent to the sin-bin for an off-the-ball challenge on Mann, while Makisi saw yellow after a bunker review for a dangerous tackle on Edwards.
Yet the Brave Blossoms refused to yield while down to 14 and even 13. Two-men short, they still managed to teach Wales a lesson in organisation and ball retention.
Wales soon found themselves in similar strife when Josh Adams’ illegal clear-out on Ishida was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Even with the numerical setbacks, neither side relinquished control for long, producing a gripping - if scrappy - contest that remained in the balance until the final whistle.
Eddie Jones had overseen Japan’s only previous wins over Wales (in 2013 and 2025, both on home soil) and came close to adding another landmark to his record.
But Japan’s pursuit of a first victory on Welsh soil—after five previous heavy defeats—slipped agonisingly away in the dying seconds.
More importantly, Evans’ late penalty ensured Wales will remain inside the world’s top 12 ahead of next month’s World Cup draw, ending 833 days without a Cardiff Test win.
Still, with New Zealand and South Africa looming, establishing a new home streak may prove a tougher challenge than breaking the old one.
