The Wallabies survived a fast-finishing Brave Blossoms in Tokyo, prevailing 19-15, with changes and critical injuries in the set piece early in the game nearly proving their undoing.
Injuries to Lukhan Salakia-Loto and Josh Canham saw the Wallabies down to one lock, but they seemed to take it in their stride, dominating all metrics of the first half with tries to captain Nick Champion de Crespigny and Josh Flook.
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However, Japan struck back with two tries and looked set for a famous victory as the visitors were made to play big minutes - before a try to Carlo Tizzano and crucial plays from Hamish Stewart and Jake Gordon saw the side sneak home.
So what did we learn?
Caught your breath after that one?
The Wallabies may have got the win, but it was far from guaranteed, as injuries piled up on the field and the 13 changes made before the match saw the side lose cohesion.
It wouldn’t have seemed that way as the Wallabies went to the sheds at halftime, dominating possession, territory, and set piece numbers - and even being denied a few tries, with Carlo Tizzano missing out under sticks after replays suggested he’d scored.
He was then held up a second time by a ruthless Japanese defence, and was denied a rolling maul try by the TMO in the first half alone.
Ultimately, there was a lot that went wrong for the Wallabies, and many questions will be asked - but it was enough to get home and survive a Japanese side that believed they could win.
There were a lot of changes to the Wallabies side, and many players put their hand up - one of the most notable being captain Nick Champion de Crespigny.
Scoring the first try, the skipper put in his best performance in gold by a country mile, with critical carries and a massive hit in the second half to deny Japan a try.
He was not alone, with the Hunter Paisami-Josh Flook combination also yielding great results in the midfield, even despite being tempered by fast-rushing Japanese defence.
Aidan Ross also made his long-awaited debut in gold, becoming the fifth player to play for both the All Blacks and Wallabies.
Hamish Stewart excelled off the bench, becoming especially critical in the closing stages, while Jake Gordon’s decision-making in the final minutes proved pivotal to nab the win.
Lastly, Carlo Tizzano also excelled on his return to the starting side despite being denied three times - finally getting a meat pie off the rolling maul in the second half.
It would not be a tenth victory for Eddie Jones over the Wallabies, conceding his side was slow out of the blocks.
However, if there was one thing he would be happy with, it would be Japan’s phenomenal defence.
Denying the Wallabies several times, including a 15-phase epic in the first half, the hosts then dished out the pain in the second half, with Hayate Era producing a contender for hit of the night on Tom Robertson.
With his side also set for a mammoth five-match tour, equalling the Wallabies and Springboks in terms of the longest tour this November, it was a result that should give his side a lot of confidence as they head to Europe.
The big talking point ahead of the clash was the Wallabies' taking a heavy rotation approach, with 13 changes made to give the Wallaby front-line players a rest.
Against Japan, the depth was well and truly tested - not just by several critical injuries early on in the match to make the leadership group think on the fly, but also by a tough home side.
The injuries, ironically, saw big minutes for regular 2025 starters Harry Wilson, Zane Nonggorr, Jake Gordon, and Andrew Kellaway, with Billy Pollard also coming off the bench.
The fatigue showed over the course of the match as a result, with the Japanese coming home with a wet sail. And yet, the new changes held firm - just.
While there is confidence to take from finding a way to win despite many changes, the close finish also exposed many concerns for Joe Schmidt and his coaching and conditioning staff.
Lukhan Salakia-Loto seemed set for a big night after cutting the Japanese to shreds with a massive run - but when he didn’t get up and clutched his rib, Australian fans got nervous.
The nerves tripled when his replacement, Josh Canham - who was looking strong in his 15 minutes on the field - was knocked out cold, meaning Harry Wilson came on in the 22nd minute.
Add in a potential HIA to prop Tom Robertson in the second half, and the Wallabies will be departing Tokyo with several injury concerns - right when they are trying to conserve their players’ energy.
With a tough assignment ahead against a dangerous England outfit coached by Steve Borthwick, the Wallabies will have many headaches, both figuratively and literally, to address in a busy seven days ahead.
