Australia tempted the onryō, resting 13 stars and appointing the most inexperienced captain in 64 years. But the high-risk move paid off, as the Wallabies exorcised the demons of the Eddie Jones era and got their spring tour off to a winning start, defeating their former coach’s Japan side 19-15 in a rainswept Tokyo.
The narrow win snaps a three-game losing streak, preserves Australia’s perfect record over Japan intact and primes the Wallabies for a return next week to Twickenham, the home of rugby, where their frontline XV will try to reprise the last-gasp heroics that secured a famous 42-37 win over England in November.
