WXV Series: Ireland 31 Japan 24
Ireland duly made home advantage and favouritism tell on a glorious Galway day, but they made somewhat heavy weather of it. They retained a core of the side which beat Japan 42-14 at the World Cup 13 months ago whereas Japan are in a rebuild, yet this win proved a good deal more difficult than had been anticipated or looked likely for much of the first half.
Having moved into a 19-0 lead once again their defensive maul proved an Achilles heel, three times the Japanese maul rumbled over the Irish try-line with alarming ease, and so made what should have been a more convincing win a little nervier than should have been the case.
Ireland were the better all-round side and also had the better kicking game in the conditions, but neither they nor the game were helped by Australian referee Ella Goldsmith blowing a concerto of penalties, albeit the home side were again a little too over eager in losing the count 16-11.
Ultimately, Ireland had to scramble in defence a mite too often for comfort and they were indebted to a brace of well-taken long range tries by local heroine Béibhinn Parsons, one of four Connacht players in the starting XV. Her brace also took her above Alison Miller’s tally to become Ireland’s record try scorer in women’s rugby.
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It will at least have pleased Scott Bemand and the rest of the staff and playing group that they dug deep, problem solved and fed off Japanese mistakes to pull through into a stiff second-half breeze.
The prematch rain had relented by kick-off and with the crowd assembled entirely in the Clan Stand, all present thus had a panoramic view of both Lough Attaile and, further out, Galway Bay glistening under the sun, as did Renmore Barracks and, in the distance, the Clare Mountains. There can’t be a better view in any Irish rugby ground.
But there was also a stiff Atlantic breeze blowing in off the Bohermore End of the ground, which Japan kicked off into and saw Dannah O’Brien return the ball with interest. That set the tone, as three of Japan’s first four kicks out of hand failed to find touch beyond 30 metres from their own line.
After their difficulties against the bigger USA forwards, the Irish pack started by laying down solid foundations at the set-piece, although Niamh O’Dowd was held up over the line off a catch-and-drive, as was hooker Neve Jones from a trick play around the front. But for this, it could have been an altogether more comfortable win.
In between, the breakthrough was achieved in a variation on the route one approach from a close-range tap penalty. Aoibheann Reilly fed the charging Eilís Cahill and from the recycle Brittany Hogan steamed on to the scrumhalf’s pass to burst through two tackles.
The Irish forwards were also applying plenty of pressure on the Japanese lineout, O’Dowd legitimately forcing a turnover with some determined spoiling before Jones gathered an overthrow and Eve Higgins launched a multiphase attack.
This led to a scrum penalty from which Reilly tapped and jinked to within a metre of the line, and from the two phases later Hogan burrowed over for her second try, which O’Brien again converted.
A rash of penalties frustrated home team and crowd alike before Ireland burst into life. Vicky Elmes Kinlan countered well and Ireland were quickly into shape, Cahill pulling the ball back for O’Brien to find Stacey Flood and Anna McGann released Parsons for a 40-metre finish as she arced around the last defender with ease.
There are few better sights in Irish women’s rugby than Parsons in full flight.
However, from 19-0 and seemingly in complete control heading to half-time, Ireland were indebted to Higgins’ recovering speed after Nami Asari picked off a pass by O’Brien, Parson also working back to force a knock-on.
Even so, Japan worked Sora Nishimura into space on the right wing and Erin King was a little harshly binned for marginally going off her feet when contesting a turnover. What’s more, the Japanese pack then splintered their Irish counterparts for hooker Moe Nagaoka to score with the last play of the half.
The contest quickly took on a different complexion altogether when some more slick handling by the Japanese backs released Nishimura again. From another penalty to the corner once more you could have thrown a blanket over their pack as Nagaoka’s throw hit flanker Sakurako Korai before being escorted over the line a second time.
Suddenly, Mana Furuta’s conversion made it a one-score game and thereafter Ireland had to dig deep and be opportunistic. First Aoife Dalton pushed up off the line to brilliantly charge down by Uta Kataoka and also regathered to run and score, before it was a case of rinse and repeat as Japan kicked to the corner and replacement hooker Nijiho Nagata was rumbled over.
Ireland appeared to have given themselves breathing space when McGann latched on to a stray pass in the Japanese midfield and took two tackles to free her arms and offload for Parsons to finish from 40 metres again.
However, once more Japan worked Nishimura into space on the right again, and from the recycle Nami Asari crashed over. Another fine conversion by Maiko Nishi again made it a one-score game. But Ireland saw out the endgame in the Japanese half and, fittingly, Hogan had the last say when winning the game’s final turnover penalty.
Scoring sequence: 10 mins: Hogan try, O’Brien con 7-0; 30: Hogan try, O’Brien con 14-0; 37: Parsons try, 19-0; 40+3: Nagaoka try 19-5; HT: 19-5); 45: Nagaoka try, Furuta con 19-12; 55: Dalton try, O’Brien con 26-12; 67: Nagata try, Nishi con 26-19; 76: Parsons try, O’Brien con 31-19; 80: Asari, Nishi con 31-24.
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Eilís Cahill, Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan; Brittany Hogan, Erin King (capt), Jemima Adams Verling. Replacements: Linda Djougang for Cahill, Aoife Dalton for Higgins (both 44 mins), Beth Buttimer for Jones, Sadhbh McGrath for O’Dowd (both 62), Jane Clohessy for Tuite-O’Sullivan, Grace Moore for Adams Verling, Emily Lane for Reilly (all 68), Niamh Gallagher for Flood (76).
Japan: Maiko Nishi; Sora Nishimura, Uta Kataoka, Mana Furuta, Komachi Imakugi; Sawa Harada, Moe Tsukui; Hinata Komaki, Moe Nagaoka, Wako Kitano; Masami Kawamura, Yuna Sato, Nami Asari, Sakurako Korai, Jennifer Nduka. Replacements: Nami Yoshida for Komaki, Juka Fuji for Kitano (both 55 mins), Nijiho Nagata for Nagaoka (57), Moe Nishimura for Korai, Mele Yua Havili Kagawa for Nduka (both 62), Minori Yamamoto for Furuta (63), Otoka Yoshimura for Sato (71).
Not used: Anan Seo
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (Australia)
