Seconds had felt like minutes before now, with devastation loitering under the roof; ready to pounce on its favourite prey. 644 days of it, enveloping the players, the staff, the fans - all of Welsh rugby - in a blanket of misery. Like the heat in Kobe; it's stifling. Inescapable.

Wales has finally won a rugby test and snapped an 18-match international losing streak when it held off Japan 31-22 in Kobe

Richard Whiffin has made six changes to his Wales Under-20s side for their fifth-place semi-final contest with England at the World Rugby U20 Championship on Monday (14:30 BST).

Emotions were running high at the Noevir Stadium in Kobe as Wales ended their 18-match losing Test run with a hard-fought 31-22 victory against Japan.

Flanagan has since moved on to join English giants Saracens as attack coach and will be working with some of the biggest names in the sport next season. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.

Queensland scored 20 unanswered points in the first half and went on to beat New South Wales 24-12 in the third and deciding State of Origin rugby league match, one of the most anticipated sporting events in Australia each year.

Wales players will face more intense conditions on Saturday when the roof of Noevir Stadium in Kobe will be shut.