BRITTANY HOGAN AND Béibhinn Parsons bagged two tries apiece at Dexcom Stadium in Galway this afternoon as Ireland were forced to dig deep before earning their first win of the WXV Global Series at the expense of a stubborn Japanese side.
Having built up a 19-point lead before falling to a 40-36 defeat against the US in Tallaght last weekend, Ireland once again led by the same margin in the latter stages of the opening half at the home of Connacht Rugby.
Japan managed to reduce their deficit significantly either side of the interval, but with Aoife Dalton and Parsons crossing the whitewash in the second period, Ireland had just enough in reserve to outlast their opponents.
While there were six changes in total to the Irish team, those who retained their spots from the Global Series opener at home to the US seven days earlier were eager to lay down a marker in the west.
Having piled the pressure on the Brave Blossoms during the early exchanges, Ireland eventually broke the deadlock when scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly (who had kick-started the move with a ‘tap and go’ penalty) released Hogan for a powerful drive underneath the posts.
This breakthrough score was supplemented by a Dannah O’Brien conversion and, despite a spirited Japanese outfit making it difficult at times for Ireland to create sustained attacking momentum, a second try nevertheless arrived for Scott Bemand’s charges just shy of the half-hour mark.
Another quick penalty from Reilly had the Japan rearguard scrambling once again, and even though the dynamic number nine (one of four Connacht players in the Irish team) couldn’t quite force her way through, Hogan was on hand to double her tally by driving over from close range.
Ireland's Beth Buttimer takes to the field for her first cap. Bryan Keane
Bryan Keane
O’Brien followed up with another successful bonus strike, but it took a superb chase down from Anna McGann – who was then given ample support by Parsons – to deny Japanese flanker Nami Asari a breakaway try off a loose pass by the Carlow out-half on 34 minutes.
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Following this vital intervention, outside centre McGann later turned creator for Parsons (a hat-trick hero when Ireland defeated Italy at Dexcom in the Women’s Six Nations back in April) when she powered over off a trademark lung-bursting run.
This unconverted effort propelled Ireland into a 19-point buffer, but there was to be a double blow for the home side in first half stoppage-time when Japan opened their account with a well-worked line-out maul try from hooker Moe Nagaoka moments after team skipper Erin King was yellow-carded.
This ensured the lead was reduced to 19-5 in time for the interval, and having conceded 21 unanswered points while Vicky Elmes Kinlan was in the sin-bin against the USA last Sunday, Ireland once again found themselves under the pump when Nagaoka applied the finishing touches to another maul attack four minutes after the restart.
A conversion at the second time of asking by full-back Maiko Nishi reduced the gap between the teams to just seven points, and Ireland responded by immediately introducing both Linda Djougang and Aoife Dalton from the bench.
This experienced duo immediately played there part in ensuring Ireland held onto their 19-12 cushion in time for King’s return and it was Dalton who ultimately got her side back on track 15 minutes into the second period.
After executing an outstanding block down on Uta Kataoka’s attempted clearance out of the Japanese defence, the Old Belvedere and Leinster centre seized upon the loose ball and proceeded to dot down in fine style.
Although O’Brien was narrowly off-target with her latest strike off the kicking tee, Ireland had to re-assert their authority on the play. Yet in spite of several changes to their pack, Japan maintained a potent set-piece threat and replacement hooker Nijiho Nagata took up where Nagaoka left off by touching down for Japan’s third line-out maul try on 67 minutes.
Nishi also split the posts in confident style off the resulting conversion to leave Ireland’s advantage at just five points and with the visitors winning a host of penalties inside the attacking half of the pitch, a tense finale lay in store.
Yet Ireland were still capable of causing problems for Japan from an attacking point of view and after McGann gathered possession off a wayward opposition pass, she picked out Parsons for a second time in the contest and the Ballinasloe native raced away for another impressive individual try.
This and O’Brien’s third conversion of the action ensured that Asari’s 80th minute try was a mere consolation for Japan, but the Brave Blossoms showed more than enough for Ireland to be wary ahead of their quick reunion in a test encounter at Musgrave Park in Cork next Saturday.
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Ireland dig deep to overcome stubborn Japan
WXV Global Series
Ireland 31
Japan 24
BRITTANY HOGAN AND Béibhinn Parsons bagged two tries apiece at Dexcom Stadium in Galway this afternoon as Ireland were forced to dig deep before earning their first win of the WXV Global Series at the expense of a stubborn Japanese side.
Having built up a 19-point lead before falling to a 40-36 defeat against the US in Tallaght last weekend, Ireland once again led by the same margin in the latter stages of the opening half at the home of Connacht Rugby.
Japan managed to reduce their deficit significantly either side of the interval, but with Aoife Dalton and Parsons crossing the whitewash in the second period, Ireland had just enough in reserve to outlast their opponents.
While there were six changes in total to the Irish team, those who retained their spots from the Global Series opener at home to the US seven days earlier were eager to lay down a marker in the west.
Having piled the pressure on the Brave Blossoms during the early exchanges, Ireland eventually broke the deadlock when scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly (who had kick-started the move with a ‘tap and go’ penalty) released Hogan for a powerful drive underneath the posts.
This breakthrough score was supplemented by a Dannah O’Brien conversion and, despite a spirited Japanese outfit making it difficult at times for Ireland to create sustained attacking momentum, a second try nevertheless arrived for Scott Bemand’s charges just shy of the half-hour mark.
Another quick penalty from Reilly had the Japan rearguard scrambling once again, and even though the dynamic number nine (one of four Connacht players in the Irish team) couldn’t quite force her way through, Hogan was on hand to double her tally by driving over from close range.
O’Brien followed up with another successful bonus strike, but it took a superb chase down from Anna McGann – who was then given ample support by Parsons – to deny Japanese flanker Nami Asari a breakaway try off a loose pass by the Carlow out-half on 34 minutes.
Following this vital intervention, outside centre McGann later turned creator for Parsons (a hat-trick hero when Ireland defeated Italy at Dexcom in the Women’s Six Nations back in April) when she powered over off a trademark lung-bursting run.
This unconverted effort propelled Ireland into a 19-point buffer, but there was to be a double blow for the home side in first half stoppage-time when Japan opened their account with a well-worked line-out maul try from hooker Moe Nagaoka moments after team skipper Erin King was yellow-carded.
This ensured the lead was reduced to 19-5 in time for the interval, and having conceded 21 unanswered points while Vicky Elmes Kinlan was in the sin-bin against the USA last Sunday, Ireland once again found themselves under the pump when Nagaoka applied the finishing touches to another maul attack four minutes after the restart.
A conversion at the second time of asking by full-back Maiko Nishi reduced the gap between the teams to just seven points, and Ireland responded by immediately introducing both Linda Djougang and Aoife Dalton from the bench.
This experienced duo immediately played there part in ensuring Ireland held onto their 19-12 cushion in time for King’s return and it was Dalton who ultimately got her side back on track 15 minutes into the second period.
After executing an outstanding block down on Uta Kataoka’s attempted clearance out of the Japanese defence, the Old Belvedere and Leinster centre seized upon the loose ball and proceeded to dot down in fine style.
Although O’Brien was narrowly off-target with her latest strike off the kicking tee, Ireland had to re-assert their authority on the play. Yet in spite of several changes to their pack, Japan maintained a potent set-piece threat and replacement hooker Nijiho Nagata took up where Nagaoka left off by touching down for Japan’s third line-out maul try on 67 minutes.
Nishi also split the posts in confident style off the resulting conversion to leave Ireland’s advantage at just five points and with the visitors winning a host of penalties inside the attacking half of the pitch, a tense finale lay in store.
Yet Ireland were still capable of causing problems for Japan from an attacking point of view and after McGann gathered possession off a wayward opposition pass, she picked out Parsons for a second time in the contest and the Ballinasloe native raced away for another impressive individual try.
This and O’Brien’s third conversion of the action ensured that Asari’s 80th minute try was a mere consolation for Japan, but the Brave Blossoms showed more than enough for Ireland to be wary ahead of their quick reunion in a test encounter at Musgrave Park in Cork next Saturday.
Ireland scorers:
Tries – Brittany Hogan 2, Béibhinn Parsons 2, Aoife Dalton
Conversions – Dannah O’Brien [3/5]
Japan scorers:
Tries – Moe Nagaoka 2, Nijiho Nagata, Nami Asari
Conversions – Maiko Nishi [2/4]
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Niamh Gallagher ’76); Béibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Eve Higgins (Aoife Dalton ’45), Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly (Emily Lane ’68); Niamh O’Dowd (Sadhbh McGrath ’63), Neve Jones (Beth Buttimer ’63), Eilís Cahill (Linda Djougang ’45); Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan (Jane Clohessy ’68); Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Jemima Adams Verling (Grace Moore ’68).
JAPAN: Maiko Nishi; Sora Nishimura, Uta Kataoka, Mana Furuta (Minori Yamamoto ’64), Komachi Imakugi; Sawa Harada, Moe Tsukui (Anan Seo ’77); Hinata Komaki (Nami Yoshida ’56), Moe Nagaoka (Nijiho Nagata ’58), Wako Kitano (Juka Fuji ’56); Masami Kawamura, Yuna Sato (Otoka Yoshimura ’72); Nami Asari, Sakurako Korai (Mio Nishimura ’63), Jennifer Nduka (Mele Yua Havili Kagawa ’63-‘66).
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (Australia).
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Beibhinn Parsons Brittany Hogan resilience Rugby Ireland Republic Japan