Ireland scored a half-century of points for the second week running as they used a dominant first half to post a 50-22 win over 2019 Rugby World Cup pool rivals Japan in Shizuoka.
Keith Earls, Dan Leavy and Jack Conan ran in two tries apiece and Garry Ringrose also touched down, with three of those scores coming during Heiichiro Ito’s costly sin-binning midway through the first half.
Joe Schmidt’s men were ruthlessly efficient as they tore into a 31-3 half-time lead, but Japan showed glimpses of their quality in an improved second half showing which culminated in two late tries from Kenki Fukuoka and Yutaka Nagare. Those concessions will rankle Ireland and ensure that they have plenty of defensive drills in the lead up to next Saturday’s rematch in Tokyo.
The first Test at Ecopa Stadium – one of the World Cup venues in two years’ time – will live long in the memories of Kieran Treadwell and Rory O’Loughlin who were both sprung from the bench to make their Ireland debuts, making it seven new caps so far on this tour.
Rory and Niall Scannell became the fifth set of brothers to start a Test for Ireland in the modern era, following in the footsteps of the Wallaces (Richard and Paul), the Easterbys, the Bests and the Kearneys. There was also a personal milestone for the in-form Earls who set a new Irish record for the most tries scored in an international season – his nine tries eclipsed Denis Hickie’s eight from the 2002/03 campaign.
Paddy Jackson’s first start in green since February saw him wield plenty of influence at half-back alongside his former Under-20 team-mate Luke McGrath. Jackson had a 100% return off the tee, nailing five conversions and a penalty for a 13-point haul.
Leavy, Conan, Quinn Roux and Cian Healy all impressed up front, as did an authoritative Irish scrum, while updates will be awaited on injuries picked up by Simon Zebo (knee), Jackson (shoulder/ribs) and McGrath (eye) who, like Earls, was a key figure in some of Ireland’s best attacks.
Number 8 Conan made an early impact, stealing a ruck ball which led to Earls kicking downfield before full-back Noguchi rescued the situation for Japan. Just a couple of minutes later, Uwe Helu’s offside allowed Jackson to open the scoring from a central penalty outside the 22.
Andrew Conway, on his first start, coped well near the Irish whitewash as he gathered a threatening kick under pressure from Japanese debutant Will Tupou. At the other end, it was Ireland’s enviable set piece game that provided the platform for most of the first half damage.
A big scrum won against the head saw Conan break down the left wing in the 11th minute and his pass put the supporting Earls over. Jackson, who kicked astutely in open play, converted. Japan pulled the deficit back to 10-3 with a Yu Tamura penalty soon after.
However, the Brave Blossoms blundered when leaking a soft penalty after Jackson was forced to scramble back to cover a dangerous kick. Their discipline was poor with four penalties coughed up in the first quarter, including another one at the breakdown when the tricky Fukuoka had them on the front foot.
McGrath, who slithered through a couple of tackles, and Conway both made headway as Ireland played from deep, before Earls again ignited the attack with a sharp break over halfway. Rory Scannell and Healy were up in support, the latter tackled five metres out and prop Ito paid the price for his indiscipline at the ensuing ruck.
It was a crucial moment and when Ito returned to the pitch 10 minutes later, Japan were trailing 31-3. Leavy’s quick-fire double showed Ireland were really in the mood, the flanker peeling off a Roux-won lineout and rumbling over via a short pass from Devin Toner.
Jackson converted and also added the extras to Leavy’s next effort, Ireland sweeping downfield on the back of Healy’s well-won ruck penalty, before McGrath’s inviting pass from a lineout saw Earls scamper through a hole and Leavy ran a great support line to finish off by the posts.
Earls laid on his second assist shortly afterwards as Leavy and Roux combined to set the Limerick man free near the left touchline and his pace and pass back inside released Conan for the corner. Jackson kept up his excellent place-kicking form by splitting the posts from out wide.
Japan knuckled down and had a couple of decent lineout opportunities as the interval approached. Fukuoka initially got past Zebo before Ringrose brought him down, while the Brave Blossoms’ forwards were unable to get their maul going five metres out. Indeed, Ireland could have nabbed a fifth try before the break, a memorable dummy and charge forward from Toner inspiring an attack that Japan did well to shut down.
Conway got an early chance to stretch his legs on the resumption and Ireland’s scrum against drove the Japanese off their own ball. The hosts were able to absorb the pressure until Healy got his boot to a loose ball and Conan scooped it up to charge clear from 40 metres out and complete his brace. Jackson’s conversion extended the lead to 35 points.
Japan finally showed their attacking capabilities in the next few minutes, McGrath being turned over on the deck and his opposite number Fumiaka Tanaka supervising a spirited and prolonged attack close to the Irish line. Conway was whistled up for two high tackles, the second one quite harshly seeing him sent to the bin by referee Marius van der Westhuizen.
After a Helu try was ruled out for obstruction on John Ryan and Ruddock, Ireland reclaimed some territory with their scrum once more in penalty-winning form. However, the home fans in he 27,381 attendance were celebrating on the hour mark when Fukuoka gained good yards on the left and his back-three colleague Noguchi then evaded Jackson and Dave Kilcoyne on his way to the whitewash. Replacement Rikiya Matsuda converted.
Treadwell and O’Loughlin entered the fray for the final quarter, with James Tracy winning his third cap and Jack O’Donoghue his second. Kilcoyne caught the eye with a couple of barnstorming runs, the first one seeing him carry hard off a Roux pass. Ringrose profited from O’Halloran’s looping pass to step inside Michael Leitch and go over wide on the right, with Scannell landing the conversion.
Earls moved into the centre as Ringrose came off with Kieran Marmion slotting in on the left wing – a position he so memorably filled during last November’s win over Australia – and Ireland duly signed off with a seventh try ten minutes from time. Strong runs from Kilcoyne and Conway got them into range for Earls to reach over from a close-in ruck, with Scannell unable to convert.
Tiredness seem to creep up on Ireland in the closing stages as Japan began to find holes, their efforts rewarded with Fukuoka crossing wide on the left, and then crisp passing released replacement Nagare for a last-minute seven-pointer. Although disappointed to give away those scores, it did not take the gloss off what was a well-orchestrated win for Ireland in weather that was not as humid as Schmidt had expected.
“The conditions were slightly less hot than we thought they were going to be because we were here yesterday for the Captain’s Run and it was searingly hot. So, it made for what I thought was a really good game in good conditions,” said the Ireland head coach.
“On the back of a strong scrum we managed to control a lot of the first half, but you saw how dangerous the Japanese team are when they get time and space on the ball. They were super in the last quarter of the game.
“I don’t think there is anything serious for us (injury-wise). A couple of blood injuries but they seem fine. Luke McGrath got a poke in the eye, he’s fine now, just had blurred vision. We thought it was better to get him out of the contact zone. The rest of them are really bumps and bruises.
“Simon Zebo already had a knock on his knee, it was only a bruise, and as luck would have it he got a knock on exactly the same place on the knee. He was sore. The others were shoulders and ribs that were sore but nothing serious.”
.
This website uses cookies.
Read More