VODAFONE IRELAND WXV SERIES:
Sunday, September 27 -
IRELAND 31 JAPAN 24, Dexcom Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Brittany Hogan 2, Béibhinn Parsons 2, Aoife Dalton; Cons: Dannah O'Brien 3
Japan: Tries: Moe Nagoaka 2, Nijiho Nagata, Nami Asari; Cons: Maiko Nishi 2
HT: Ireland 19 Japan 5
It was too close for comfort at times, but Ireland ran out deserving 31-24 winners over a well-drilled Japan team on their return to Dexcom Stadium.
Having led by 19 points during first half, Scott Bemand's side staved off a maul-inspired Japanese fightback with an Aoife Dalton charge-down try and Béibhinn Parsons' second breakaway effort of the day.
On an afternoon when Beth Buttimer made her Test debut and Jane Clohessy won her second cap, the hosts wrapped up the Vodafone Ireland WXV Series on a winning note before facing Japan again in Cork next Saturday.
Backed by a strong wind, Ireland built a 19-5 half-time lead thanks to a brace from Brittany Hogan (10 and 30 minutes), and another scorching try for Parsons' highlight reel.
The fit-again winger's scintillating finish brought back memories of her hat-trick against Italy in Galway last April, but Japan ended the first half in determined mood.
Moe Nagaoka's maul score, on the back of Ireland captain Erin King's sin-binning, lifted the visitors who had done well to soak up a lot of pressure in defence.
Although Japan added two more maul tries in the second half, and a late effort from 18-year-old flanker Nami Asari, the girls in green kept their noses in front with Parsons' 75th-minute try proving vital.
Aiming to bounce back from their 40-36 defeat to the USA, Ireland established an early hold of territory, pressing from a maul on the Clan Stand side. Japan were well organised and maintained a rapid line speed in defence.
An Eve Higgins turnover penalty drew the world's fifth-ranked team closer, and although Niamh O'Dowd was held up, the wind advantage kept play in and around the Japanese 22.
The breakthrough came shortly afterwards when Eilís Cahill, on her first start, sucked in defenders from a tap penalty move, and Hogan was able to blast her way in underneath the posts.
A scrum penalty offered the Irish pack further encouragement, albeit that Neve Jones was held up off the resulting lineout. Handling errors were also creeping in.
Jennifer Nduka showed her effectiveness at the breakdown as the Sakura 15s began the second quarter with some momentum. O'Dowd's smart maul defence won the ball back.
Back on the front foot, a King half-break, quickly followed by a punchy Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan carry, brought Ireland back into scoring range, with Asari penalised for offside.
A subsequent scrum penalty allowed Aoibheann Reilly to snipe, and Hogan scored with a well-timed pick just a couple of phases later. Dannah O'Brien added her second conversion for a 14-0 lead.
Japan threatened a swift response when Asari intercepted an O'Brien pass, but Anna McGann hunted her down with a fine chaseback, forcing a knock-on too.
When Vicky Elmes Kinlan ran a kick back with interest, it led to a neat line of passes across to fellow winger Parsons who brilliantly accelerated clear from halfway and rounded Nduka for the biggest cheer of the day.
However, Ireland let their discipline slip approaching the interval, and King paid the price with a yellow card for killing the ball following an initial Sora Nishimura break.
Japan got on the scoreboard from the resulting lineout, as a well-executed drive allowed Nagaoka to score from the rear. Maiko Nishi was wide with her conversion.
Into the second half, an impressive defence-splitting run from Asari underlined Japan's eagerness to attack from deep. They had the end-product to show for it when Nagaoka turned a penalty into a second maul score.
Full-back Nishi swept over a superb conversion from close to the right touchline, as the visitors made it 12 unanswered points during King's absence from the pitch.
The introduction of experienced duo Linda Djougang and Dalton, coupled with King's return, helped Ireland to settle back down, with Dalton doing well to bundle Nishimura into touch.
Jemima Adams Verling soon burst past two players on an terrific surge down the left wing. The home support responded, as did Hogan with a bustling carry to breach the opposition 22.
Japan were set to clear their lines off a scrum until Dalton leapt to block down Uta Kataoka's kick, the Clara native coolly collecting the loose ball at pace for a 25-metre run-in.
Despite O'Brien missing the conversion, the replacement centre's 55th-minute score steadied the ship at 24-12, as Ireland reasserted themselves and regained their impetus.
The 21-year-old Buttimer came on to win her first cap, at a stage when the home side were winning scrum penalties again. Sawa Harada's clever show-and-go had Ireland on the retreat, though.
Sadhbh McGrath's maul infringement gave Japan another sight of the try-line. There was no stopping replacement hooker Nijiho Nagata who plunged over, and Nishi's expertly-struck conversion made it a five-point game.
It was Parsons who provided some much-needed breathing space, the Ballinasloe flyer again racing away from halfway after McGann was first to a loose pass from a Japanese scrum.
O'Brien tagged on her third successful conversion for a 31-19 scoreline, yet Japan had more in them, using back-to-back penalties to threaten out wide. Teenager Asari managed to cross from close range.
There was still a potential draw for the Japanese outfit to play for. They had possession deep inside their own half, with the clock in the red, before Hogan and replacement Grace Moore combined to win a game-ending penalty.
TIME LINE: 10 minutes - Ireland try: Brittany Hogan - 5-0; conversion: Dannah O'Brien - 7-0; 30 mins - Ireland try: Brittany Hogan - 12-0; conversion: Dannah O'Brien - 14-0; 37 mins - Ireland try: Béibhinn Parsons - 19-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O'Brien - 19-0; 40+2 mins - Ireland yellow card: Erin King; 40+3 mins - Japan try: Moe Nagaoka - 19-5; conversion: missed by Maiko Nishi - 19-5; Half-time - Ireland 19 Japan 5; 44 mins - Japan try: Moe Nagaoka - 19-10; conversion: Maiko Nishi - 19-12; 55 mins - Ireland try: Aoife Dalton - 24-12; conversion: missed by Dannah O'Brien - 24-12; 67 mins - Japan try: Nijiho Nagata - 24-17; conversion: Maiko Nishi - 24-19; 75 mins - Ireland try: Béibhinn Parsons - 29-19; conversion: Dannah O'Brien - 31-19; 80 mins - Japan try: Nami Asari - 31-24; conversion: missed by Maiko Nishi - 31-24; Full-time - Ireland 31 Japan 24
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster); Dannah O'Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Niamh O'Dowd (Gloucester-Hartpury), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) (capt), Jemima Adams Verling (Galwegians RFC/Connacht).
Replacements: Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Grace Moore (Munster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).
JAPAN: Maiko Nishi (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars); Sora Nishimura (MIE Pearls), Uta Kataoka (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars), Mana Furuta (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Komachi Imakugi (Arukas Queen Kumagaya); Sawa Harada (Japan University of Economics), Moe Tsukui (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars) (capt); Hinata Komaki (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Moe Nagaoka (Yokohama TKM), Wako Kitano (MIE Pearls), Masami Kawamura (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars), Yuna Sato (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Nami Asari (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars), Sakurako Korai (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Jennifer Nduka (Hokkaido Barbarians Diana).
Replacements: Nijiho Nagata (MIE Pearls), Nami Yoshida (Yokohama TKM), Juka Fuji (Yokohama TKM), Otoka Yoshimura (Arukas Queen Kumagaya), Mio Nishimura (Yokohama TKM), Anan Seo (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Minori Yamamoto (Yokohama TKM), Mele Yua Havili Kagawa (Yokohama TKM).
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (RA)
