Japan 15–42 France: match report & highlights

Jul 18, 2026

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Full-time: Japan 15 – 42 France

France dominated this Nations Championship encounter from the opening moments, with Maxime Lamothe scoring inside the first two minutes to set the tone for a clinical attacking display. Japan responded gamely through Kippei Ishida's try and Takuro Matsunaga's penalty, but France's intensity proved overwhelming in the first half. Matthieu Jalibert and Alexandre Roumat crossed for tries as the visitors built a commanding lead, with Maxime Lucu's boot keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Despite a spirited effort, Japan found themselves trailing by thirteen points at the interval.

The second half saw France extend their dominance with Maxime Lamothe adding a second try early in the period. Sojiro Otsuka provided a brief spark for Japan with a try of his own, but France's attacking prowess never wavered. Jalibert's second try underlined French superiority as they cruised to victory, though late yellow cards to Jalibert and Marko Gazzotti suggested some scrappiness crept in. This was a comprehensive performance from France, who proved too strong and too well-organised for a gallant Japanese side.

Key moments

52' 52' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 15 – 42 France
51' 51' Try: Maxime Lamothe (France) — Japan 15 – 40 France
44' 44' Conversion: Romain Ntamack (France) — Japan 15 – 35 France
43' 43' Try: Matthieu Jalibert (France) — Japan 15 – 33 France
36' 36' Conversion: Takuro Matsunaga (Japan) — Japan 15 – 28 France
35' 35' Try: Sojiro Otsuka (Japan) — Japan 13 – 28 France
31' 31' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 8 – 28 France
30' 30' Try: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 8 – 26 France
24' 24' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 8 – 21 France
23' 23' Try: Alexandre Roumat (France) — Japan 8 – 19 France
20' 20' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 8 – 14 France
19' 19' Try: Matthieu Jalibert (France) — Japan 8 – 12 France
15' 15' Try: Kippei Ishida (Japan) — Japan 8 – 7 France
10' 10' Penalty: Takuro Matsunaga (Japan) — Japan 3 – 7 France
3' 3' Conversion: Maxime Lucu (France) — Japan 0 – 7 France
2' 2' Try: Maxime Lamothe (France) — Japan 0 – 5 France

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Highlights

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