France prepares for November Nations Championship return matches
France faces Nations Championship return matches in November after strong early tournament performance.
Event / Sports
Nations Championship Rugby 2026
France defeated Japan 42-15 in a Nations Championship rugby match on July 18, 2026, in Tokyo, scoring six tries to secure bonus points and move to the top of the northern hemisphere standings with 12 points. This was France's ninth consecutive victory against Japan.
3 reported locations
Daily activity
0 articles0 articles
2026-08-15 to 2026-11-12 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 18 Jul, 13:48 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
France records largest victory margin against Japan in their territory
France's 27-point victory margin over Japan equaled their largest point total scored in Japan and marked their largest margin of victory against Japan on Japanese soil, surpassing their previous best of +19 from July 2, 2022.
France takes lead in Nations Championship northern hemisphere standings
Following their victory over Japan and Australia's loss to New Zealand (40-21), France moved to the top of the northern hemisphere standings in the Nations Championship with 12 points, ahead of Ireland with 10 points.
France scheduled for Nations Championship return matches in November
France is scheduled to face Fiji on November 7 in Lyon, South Africa on November 13, and Argentina on November 21 at Stade de France in the return phase of the Nations Championship. The final is scheduled for November 29 at Twickenham in London.
Matthieu Jalibert scores two tries for France against Japan
France's back Matthieu Jalibert scored two tries during the match against Japan, contributing significantly to France's dominant performance in the Nations Championship fixture.
France defeats Japan 42-15 in Nations Championship rugby match
France's rugby team defeated Japan 42-15 on July 18, 2026, in Tokyo during the third round of the Nations Championship. France scored six tries in the match, earning a bonus point for the victory. This was France's ninth consecutive victory against Japan.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
France defeats Japan 42-15 to lead Nations Championship
France dominated Japan 42-15, taking the Nations Championship northern hemisphere lead.