Rampant Wales Get Campaign Back on Track

Wales return to France today for a game against Fiji in Nantes a week on Saturday that will determine who meets South Africa in the quarter-finals. It was not a performance to raise the roof but Shane Williams scored twice in his 50th international, one of 11 Wales tries and captain Stephen Jones kicked 13 points before being hauled off the pitch early in the second half.

Gareth Jenkins' side cut loose after the break and although Japan scored two marvellous tries, the second a counterattack by Hirotoki Onozawa, they never looked like registering only their second World Cup win ever.

Wales had secured their bonus point by the interval when Kevin Morgan took advantage of a turnover with the last move of the half to score their fourth try. Morgan had a poor first half and Wales made a host of errors but Alun-Wyn Jones restored order to the chaos with their first try. Japan, though, scored what will be a candidate for the try of the tournament, a length-of-the-field move that saw the wing Kosuke Endo score in the corner.

Wales Morgan; D James, Robinson (Shanklin 73), Hook, S Williams; S Jones (capt, Sweeney 57), Phillips (Cooper 57); D Jones, T Rhys Thomas (Bennett 59), Horsman (Jenkins 65), W James, A W Jones (Evans 52), Charvis, M Williams, Popham (Owen 58).

Tries M Williams, Cooper, D James, S Williams 2, Phillips, Morgan, T Rhys Thomas Hook, A W Jones Cons S Jones 5, Sweeney Pens S Jones.

Japan Loamanu; Endo, Imamura (Taira 51), Onishi (Kusumi 52), Onozawa; Robins, Yoshida; Nishiura (Yamamura 54), Matsubara, Soma (Nishiura 71), Ono, Thompson (Kiso 66), Watanabe, Makiri (Asano 52), Miuchi (capt).

Tries Onozawa, Endo Cons Robins Pens Onishi 2.

Referee J Jutge (France).