It's the dawn of a new era for Australia with head coach Les Kiss taking charge of his first game against Japan in the 2026 Lipovitan-D Challenge Cup on Saturday morning.
The Wallabies had a tough run under previous coach Joe Schmidt, winning just 12 of their 31 matches under his tenure.
With Kiss now taking the reins and the 2027 World Cup on Australian soil drawing nearer, Wallabies supporters will be hoping for signs of progress in these two Test matches against the Brave Blossoms, starting on Saturday at Hanazono Rugby Stadium.
Japan v Australia Tips Summary
Best Bet - Japan +15.5 handicap @ 1.90
Alternative Bet - Kazuma Ueda anytime tryscorer @ 1.91
Bet Builder - Naoto Saito & Max Jorgensen anytime tryscorers @ 6.00
Japan v Australia Prediction
Best Bet: Japan +15.5 handicap @ 1.90
It’s likely to take Kiss time to stamp his imprint on this Wallabies side and it’s a tricky opening game against Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms this weekend.
The last meeting between these sides took place in Tokyo in 2025 and it was the Aussies who scraped a 19-15 victory that day.
Japan will have been battle-hardened from their recent encounters with Ireland and France, who are the top two sides in the Northern Hemisphere right now.
Given how close the last encounter was between these sides and how the Brave Blossoms played recently against the Irish, Japan with a generous +15.5 handicap gets the thumbs up.
Alternative Bet: Kazuma Ueda anytime tryscorer @ 1.91
Coming into this game on the back of an impressive season with Kobelco Steelers, winger Kazuma Ueda is worth considering in the anytime tryscorer market.
Scoring 10 tries for the Steelers on their way to the title in Japan, Ueda is good value to go over against the Wallabies this weekend.
Japan v Australia Bet Builder Tip
Naoto Saito anytime tryscorer
Max Jorgensen anytime tryscorer
Pays 6.00
Sticking with the anytime tryscorer market in this two-fold Bet Builder, Naoto Saito and Max Jorgensen are both tipped to score on Saturday.
Toulouse scrum-half Saito bagged two tries in his limited appearances in the Top 14 last season and is backed to touch down this weekend, as is Jorgensen, who is fancied to add to his seven Test tries for the Wallabies from the wing.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Australia have lost six of their last seven Test matches
The Wallabies have won all of their previous five meetings with Japan
Australia edged a 19-15 victory the last time these sides met in 2025 at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo
Japan go into this game following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Ireland and France
Read more rugby union betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
