On a less-than-stellar Saturday, Ireland managed a win that, frankly, looked better on paper than on the pitch, triumphing 41-10 over a spirited Japanese team in Dublin. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Ireland’s performance was far from convincing, especially given Japan’s recent 61-7 drubbing by the Springboks.
The game only tilted in Ireland's favor after halftime, ending in a 24-0 run as the Brave Blossoms began to wilt. Ireland’s coach, Andy Farrell, had shuffled the deck with eight changes following last week's loss to New Zealand in Chicago. The team’s shaky start was briefly steadied by flyhalf Jack Crowley, who nailed an early penalty followed by a try, capitalizing on Japan being temporarily reduced to 14 men after Charlie Lawrence was sin-binned for a risky tackle on Irish debutant Tom Farrell.
"We found our rhythm eventually, but we've got to start better against teams like Japan,"
admitted Crowley, reflecting on the team’s initial disjointed play.Nick Timoney soon added another try, hinting at a potential Irish rout, but Japan had other ideas. The visitors dominated the remainder of the first half, their quick ball movement and aggressive forward play culminating in Kenji Sato’s try, awarded after some touchline deliberation. Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale, meanwhile, found himself in the sin bin, complicating matters further for the hosts.
The second half saw Ireland with renewed vigor, thanks in part to a numerical restoration. Andrew Porter bulldozed over the line to extend the lead, followed by a series of tries from the Irish bench, showcasing the depth of Farrell’s squad. Gus McCarthy and Paddy McCarthy (no relation) both scored, capitalizing on Ireland’s forward power, while Sam Prendergast set up Tommy O’Brien for the final nail in the coffin.
Despite the seemingly comfortable win, Farrell noted the performance was less than ideal.
"We can't afford lapses like that if we're to challenge teams like the Wallabies and Springboks in the coming weeks,"
he commented post-match, already eyeing the tougher fixtures on the horizon.As Ireland braces for these upcoming challenges, they’ll need more than just a few sparks of brilliance to overcome sterner tests. Today’s match, while a victory, was a stark reminder that Ireland must up their game significantly to contend with the world’s best.
Teams:
Ireland: Jack Crowley, Tom Farrell, Nick Timoney, Jacob Stockdale, Tommy O’Brien, Andrew Porter, Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Sam Prendergast.
Japan: Charlie Lawrence, Kenji Sato, Seung-sin Lee, Kippei Ishida.