Wales head to Japan looking to finally put an end to their dismal losing run
Wales are ranked 12th in the world after their winless Six Nations campaign(Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/Huw Evans Agency)
World Rugby have confirmed that the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup will take place in December this year, in a move that could have a major impact on Wales’ tournament hopes.
After the draw for the 2023 tournament in France was criticised having been held nearly three years earlier at the end of 2020, the draw for the next edition in Australia will take place with less than two years to go until the action gets under way Down Under.
It also means that the seedings for the draw will be based on the world rankings at the end of the November international window, which could spell bad news for Wales.
A winless Six Nations campaign saw Wales extend their dismal losing run to 17 successive Test matches, having not won at that level since their World Cup pool stage win over Georgia in October 2023.
Unsurprisingly, it is the worst run of results for a Tier 1 nation in the professional era and one that leaves them in a dangerous position with the next World Cup draw now on the horizon. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Wales now head into the summer placed 12th in the World Rugby rankings. Having fallen behind Tier 2 side Georgia, they are now closer in the global standings to 13th-placed Japan, who they will face in a two-Test series in July.
Led by interim coach Matt Sherratt, the hope is that Wales will be able to finally put an end to their embarrassing losing streak against Japan and restore some much-needed confidence in order to start climbing back up the rankings.
Two victories from two on the summer tour could well see Sherratt’s side edge back up to 11th place and knock on the door of the global top 10, although this will almost certainly depend on results elsewhere.
However, falling to a defeat – or even two – to Eddie Jones’ side would not just see Wales’ losing run continue but could spell disaster as far as the next World Cup is concerned.
A first Test defeat to Japan would not only see the tourists get leapfrogged by their hosts in the world rankings, but also by Samoa, with Wales set to slip to a new record low of 14th in the world if that scenario plays out.
It would also see them drop out of the second band of seeds – which is for teams ranked seventh to 12th in the world – for the World Cup in Australia and into the third, meaning they would likely face a brutal pool at the tournament if they were to remain there.
Of course, with the draw not being made until December, Wales would also have the autumn internationals to turn things around.
But with a daunting line-up of Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa awaiting them in Cardiff in November, as well as a rematch with Japan, they will more than likely need an undefeated summer in order to give their global standing a boost and avoid dropping down to the third tier.
While the potential World Cup ramifications will up the ante for the Japan tour, Wales will be encouraged by their strong record against their opponents this summer, having won 13 of their 14 previous meetings.
However, their only defeat came the last time they faced the Brave Blossoms on Japanese soil, when the hosts won 28-3 against a Welsh side that had 15 players away with the British & Irish Lions in Australia at the time.
AloJapan.com