Murchie demands Wales defence improve ahead of Nations Championship return vs Japan

Peter Murchie has demanded a major improvement in Wales' defence as they resume their Nations Championship campaign against Japan on Saturday (16:40 GMT). The defence coach said he expects the squad to be better during the month ahead.

Murchie, who was Glasgow's defence coach when they won the United Rugby Championship in 2024, is preparing for his second campaign in charge of Wales' defence after joining Steve Tandy's backroom staff from Kobelco Kobe Steelers. In July, Wales beat Fiji in Cardiff but lost to Argentina and South Africa, collectively missing more than 100 tackles and conceding 15 tries across those three games. Murchie linked up with Wales after the conclusion of the Japanese Rugby League One season in June.

Reviewing the summer, Murchie said improvement is necessary and urged higher standards from his unit. "From my side in the summer, we can be much better," he said. "I wasn't happy with the defence overall, there's much more in us and improvements to be made."

Murchie outlined the defensive characteristics he wants to see from Wales this month. "We want to be extremely tough to break down and play against," he said, adding: "The players are ambitious, they want to perform and defensively we want to be more consistent in our performances this November."

He contrasted his late arrival last year with the preparation this campaign, saying the coaching group has benefited from a longer build-up. "There is a much bigger lead-in than last time," Murchie said. "We've got more of a complete coaching group and been able to debrief the summer properly and prepare." He added: "We have been out in the regions and it's been a good preparation to getting the boys into camp. We have had more time to build relationships and prepare this time around."

Murchie also addressed Wales' results under head coach Steve Tandy, saying the win ratio must improve after three victories in 12 Tests. Since November 2025, Wales have beaten Japan, Italy and Fiji and lost nine other internationals. "We're here to win Test matches, we're not here to take part and we've spoken about that as a group," he said. "I'm not going to give you a number of wins. We're also looking for consistency in our performance in terms of delivery and performance in every game."

On the opposition, Murchie noted Wales will meet Japan for the fourth time in 16 months, following a 1-1 series draw in Japan in July 2025 and a win for Wales in Cardiff last November sealed by a late Jarrod Evans penalty. Drawing on his year in Japan, Murchie said: "Japan are a good team. I've coached there last year, so know a bit about how they play and how they approach the game. During the last year or two, they've progressed and pushed numerous top teams close. We know the threats, the skills and pace, particularly the Japanese contingent, have which is what they pride themselves on. They've also got a big foreign contingent there who give them a different dimension, size and bulk, especially around the forward pack. It makes them a difficult proposition to play against and they've proven that in the Test matches they have performed against us. We respect them, they're well-coached and well-drilled, so we'll need to be at our best."

Murchie gave further detail on Japan's approach to preparation and the cultural differences he encountered while coaching there. "They are extremely hard workers with the way they're brought through high school nand university," he said. "They will train for three or four hours and it's no sweat off their back. They're used to extremely harsh training conditions and will run through brick walls for you. They are also very fit, skilful and throw the ball around." He added: "It's different to anywhere else in the world, the way they're taught and coached and it makes them makes a really interesting group of people to work with," and: "I loved it, learned a lot and the rugby out there is completely different. You work for a company and I essentially I worked for a steel company. So you've got a real tie to them and you've got to learn as a coach to work with 38-year-olds, who have been there for 20 years, and Ardie Savea [New Zealand captain] in the same team."

Wales' next fixture is the Nations Championship match against Japan on Saturday (16:40 GMT), the first of their November campaign where Murchie has said defensive consistency and improved tackle completion will be prioritised.