Ireland struggles but finishes strong to defeat Japan 41-10

Ireland has labored to enactment distant Japan by a flattering 41-10 successful sun-kissed Dublin

DUBLIN -- Ireland labored to enactment distant Japan by a flattering 41-10 astatine sun-kissed Aviva Stadium connected Saturday.

Coach Andy Farrell wanted a convincing amusement astatine location aft losing to New Zealand 26-13 successful Chicago and Japan looked to beryllium determination for the plucking aft being smashed by South Africa 61-7 past weekend.

But contempt cleanable conditions Ireland struggled until the past 4th for rhythm, with passes awry and the set-pieces shaky again. The accomplishment disconnected the seat of the Prendergast brothers, Cian and Sam, and Jack Conan, boosted Ireland's vigor against a flagging Japan and 3 tries successful the past 14 minutes gave the scoreline an unwarranted glow.

Ireland won by six tries to 1 with Australia coming adjacent weekend. But the much pertinent numbers were 19 handling errors by Ireland and 17 by Japan.

“We wanted to enactment successful a amended show for the location crowd,” Ireland standout Tommy O'Brien told broadcaster TNT. “We brought plentifulness of vigor and improved massively successful the 2nd half. We had a fewer caller players retired determination contiguous and tried to play a accelerated marque of rugby truthful that volition travel with errors.”

The Irish scored lone 2 tries successful the archetypal half. Flyhalf Jack Crowley, with an assistance from skipper Caelan Doris, finished disconnected their astir fluid determination but that was against 14 men. Then flanker Nick Timoney burned the Japanese defence with his 5th effort successful 5 tests crossed 4 years aft Japan hesitated erstwhile Tadhg Beirne dropped a drawback that James Ryan cleaned up.

Crowley's goalkicks made it 17-0 aft 30 minutes.

But Japan was doing each the entertaining, particularly backs Kippei Ishida and Naoto Saito. Their positivity — forcing Ireland to marque doubly arsenic galore tackles — was rewarded by the assemblage cheering their 10-man rolling maul carrying Kenji Sato implicit for a converted effort adjacent halftime.

Ireland started the 2nd fractional with helping Jacob Stockdale successful the sin-bin but inactive scored erstwhile prop Andrew Porter crashed implicit during a determination successful which different walk went to ground, done Doris.

A infinitesimal aft helium came retired of the sin-bin, Stockdale thought he'd scored his archetypal Ireland effort successful 4 years but it was ruled retired for offside.

Ireland's punchy reinforcements made a difference. Replacement hooker Gus McCarthy scored from a rolling maul to marque the effect harmless astatine 27-10, past replacement prop Paddy McCarthy went over.

A last flourish came from a turnover connected halfway; Sam Prendergast's behind-the-back walk sent engaged winger O'Brien distant for a deserved effort by the antheral of the match.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

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