Six Nations champion France overpowered Japan 42-15 at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday in Round 3 of the 2026 Nations Championship, securing a second win in three matches of the new 12-team tournament.
Captain and scrumhalf Maxime Lucu led from the front with 15 points — one try and five conversions — in a commanding display. The French pack dominated the set-piece and aerial game, keeping the Brave Blossoms under relentless pressure.
France struck immediately: hooker Maxime Lamothe drove over from a close-range lineout in the second minute. Japan responded with grit, taking a one-point lead through a Takuro Matsunaga penalty and a brilliant long-range counter-attacking try finished by winger Kippei Ishida in the 15th minute.
The French reply was swift. Fullback Matthieu Jalibert crossed in the 19th minute after sustained forward pressure earned a yellow card for Japan lock Harry Hockings. Number 8 Alexandre Roumat dotted down four minutes later, and Lucu sealed the attacking bonus point with a darting try on the half-hour mark.
Leading 28-15 at the break, France put the game away early in the second half. Jalibert grabbed his second try in the 43rd minute off a short pass from Lucu, and Lamothe completed his brace in the 51st for the final 42-15 scoreline. A yellow card to Jalibert for a high tackle in the 58th disrupted France's rhythm, but Japan — with a disallowed try in the 63rd — failed to score in the second half.
"We had long sequences with the ball despite a very, very hot and humid climate — we're very satisfied with this second victory," said winger Théo Attissogbe. France finishes its three-week tour with wins over Australia (42-26) and Japan, after an opening 34-32 loss to the All Blacks. Japan ends the first phase with a 27-10 win over Italy followed by consecutive losses to Ireland and France.
Sources
- AP News — France beats Japan 42-15 in Nations Championship rugby as Lucu tallies 15 points: https://apnews.com/article/france-japan-rugby-nations-championship-ea56f5072a3a886fb2b6d3c117158b76
