Carter Gordon returns as Australia rout Japan 56-17 in Townsville

Carter Gordon returned as Australia beat Japan 56-17 in a Nations Championship Test in Townsville on Saturday, producing attacking moments that helped the Wallabies score eight tries in a dominant outing.

New coach Les Kiss led Australia to a second consecutive victory in the eight-try win, giving the Wallabies their first three-match winning streak since 2024 and energising supporters with 14 months remaining before the 2027 World Cup; in eight attempts, Japan had never beaten Australia at home and Australia's performance was a more ruthless follow-up to a scratchy three-point success in Osaka last week.

Gordon immediately attacked the line and provided chaotic offloads that created space for the back three, setting up Max Jorgensen’s angled break; Jorgensen was pulled down short and Josh Nasser swept in to score the opening try.

Japan replied when Ryunosuke Ito spun the ball quickly to Hiruto Kida, who executed a chip-and-chase on the right wing, and later Ryan Lonergan’s clearance was charged down by Harry Hocking to reduce the deficit to 7-5.

Kiss made eight changes from the previous week, promoting his finishers to the starting XV, and from a slick lineout Isaac Henry broke the defence to find Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and create the platform for Taniela Tupou to bulldoze over for his second try in as many weeks; Naoto Saitō then took a quick tap, dashing 5 metres to dive under the crossbar to make it 14-12 before a forward pass ruled out a Lonergan break and Hayate Era’s rumble through a gap set Dylan Riley up for a Japan score that put the visitors 14-17 ahead.

Trailing 14-17, Australia continued to probe through Hunter Paisami, whose strong carries helped produce pressure in the strike zone; when a William Wilson carry was held up, Paisami found Tupou for his second try of the match, and the Wallabies led 21-17 at half-time.

Japan head coach Eddie Jones had shown his players video of geese in flight after the 35-32 defeat in Osaka: “The head of the flock is like the ball-carrier,” Jones said in the pre-match press conference. “It’s the responsibility of the support players to respond to what the ball-carrier does.” In the second half Max Jorgensen fielded a flying kick and burst away but was stopped, Tom Wright was held up in the opposite corner, and when Wilson opted to chase a try rather than three points Angus Bell drove over to extend Australia’s advantage.

Kiss introduced Brandon Paenga-Amosa and, on a historic Test debut, Wallaby No 1000 Massimo De Lutiis, who scrambled over for a try that pushed the lead to 18 points; with six of their eight tries coming from frontrowers and flanker Carlo Tizzano winning the ball at the breakdown three times, Australia then raced in three more scores in quick succession through Cale, Wilson and Paenga-Amosa as their set piece and backline combinations dominated.

Australia now prepare for a two-Test tour of Argentina next; a win there, the report concluded, would put the wider rugby world on notice about the Wallabies’ resurgence.