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Les Kiss assumes the role of Australia's rugby coach against Eddie Jones and his Japanese team in Osaka on Saturday. This marks the beginning of a new chapter as Kiss aims to elevate the Wallabies to become strong contenders for the next year's World Cup hosted by Australia. Kiss collaborated closely with his previous boss, Joe Schmidt, during the transition, and is eager to make his mark after waiting over a year for the opportunity.

The Wallabies recently secured a significant victory against Italy with a convincing 57-10 scoreline, providing a fitting farewell for Schmidt following two years of challenging management.

Despite this success, there is considerable work ahead for Kiss and his team to prepare the Wallabies to consistently challenge the top teams in international rugby. Prior to their clash with Italy, Australia experienced six consecutive defeats, including losses to Ireland and France during the Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. However, Australia previously achieved a 19-15 victory over Japan in Tokyo last October, with a second-string lineup, during a rainy test match in a hot, humid environment.

Ranked 10th in the world, Japan are only two spots behind the Wallabies and have demonstrated promise under Jones's leadership. The team started the season with a 27-10 win over Italy, followed by defeats to Ireland (36-20) and France (42-15). Kiss has given the squad a strong starting 15, while maintaining key players in reserve to overcome the challenging conditions in Osaka.

Rookie flyhalf Declan Meredith will have another opportunity to showcase his talent in the starting lineup, with Ben Donaldson returned to the bench. Centre Isaac Henry, the only uncapped player on the match-day squad, hopes to make his test debut off the bench.

Japan has undergone significant development under Jones, developing a strong Australasian identity with powerful lock Warner Dearns leading the charge after a successful Super Rugby Pacific season. The Osaka match will be the first in a two-test series, concluding in Townsville, Queensland, a week later. Kiss will face immense pressure to secure wins in both matches and avoid a humiliating defeat against Jones, who left the Wallabies in acrimonious circumstances in 2023 after an early World Cup exit from France.