Wales head coach Sean Lynn has praised the grit shown by his side during their five-try victory over Japan.
Wales looked comfortable in the WXV contest at 29-5 until replacements Keira Bevan and Hannah Dallavalle were yellow-carded within two minutes of each other.
It left them defending for their lives in the final 10 minutes in Kumagaya City with the hosts launching wave after wave of attack.
And while Japan carry the Brave Blossoms nickname, Wales were more than worthy of the tag themselves as they refused to concede.
“We knew it was going to be another tough one,” said Lynn.
“The grit we showed to go down to 13 players and just hold them out at the end, that for me is just a sign of how far this squad has come.
“Everybody told me how amazing Japan is and for us to come away to win two Test matches is an amazing achievement from all players and staff. A huge pat on the back to everyone.”
Lynn’s post-match praise was echoed by co-captain Kate Williams.
Reflecting on the performance, she said: “We were brave with the ball and I think that showed in the tries that we scored. We can be really pleased with our set piece as well.
“Something that we need to continually work on is our discipline, but I’m really proud of the defensive effort, especially in that last 20 minutes with the two yellow cards.”