After a worrying half Ireland too strong for Japanese
- Updated: 08/11/2025
Ireland 41. Japan 10
THEY struggled in the first half but Andy Farrell’s side were full value for their comfortable victory in the Aviva Stadium, If you were to forecast the score at half time in this game you may have gone for a bigger margin than 17-10. Ireland failed to dominate from the start, allowing the visitors to make all the approach work and conceding ten points. Right from the kick-off Japan brought the game to the home side and apart from tries by Jack Crowley and Nick Timoney and a penalty and conversion from Jack Crowley, they never seemed to dominate. Before the half time whistle Japan cut the lead to seven points with a try from Kenta Kobayashi and a penalty and conversion by out-half Seungsin Lee.
The number of penalties conceded by Ireland in the first half was concerning and with Jacob Stockdale getting a yellow card on the stroke of half time, Ire needed to get the first score of the second half and they obliged with Andrew Porter grounding the ball after an Irish maul but Jack Crowley was wide with the conversion as his side now led 22-10. Jacob Stockdale then blocked a Japan clearance and forced his way over but the try was disallowed On 66 minutes replacement Gus McCarthy got in at the back of a maul to extend the lead to 27-10. It was a case of backs and forwards as the Japanese tired and tries from Paddy McCarthy and a conversion from Sam Prendergast up to 34-10 with five minutes remaining. Tommy O’Brien then got in for another try which was converted Prendergast as Ireland raced into a 31 point lead.
Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Tom Farrell, Robbie Henshaw, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Finlay Bealham, Cian Prendergast, Jack Conan, Caolin Blade, Sam Prendergast, Jimmy O’Brien.
Japan: Yoshitaka Yazaki; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Charlie Lawrence, Tomoki Osada; Seungsin Lee, Naoto Saito; Kenta Kobayashi, Kenji Sato, Shuhei Takeuchi; Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Dearns; Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, Faulua Makisi.
Replacements: Shodai Hirao, Ryosuke Iwaihara, Keijiro Tamefusa, Jack Cornelsen, Michael Leitch, Shinobu Fujiwara, Shinya Komura, Yuya Hirose.
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