WE’VE SEEN THIS story before. Ireland make a bundle of changes for a Test they’re expected to win, and turn in a performance which lacks the usual tempo and accuracy Andy Farrell’s teams strive for.
Make no mistake, Ireland will be eaten alive if they produce a similarly slow start in Eden Park next weekend.
As the collective struggled for cohesion, it was hard for individuals to seize their opportunities.
Which meant a frustrating night for Ciarán Frawley, whose task here was no easy one. The Skerries man won his first Ireland cap in August 2023, coming off the bench to play 40 minutes in a summer Test against Italy. Even at that early stage in his international career it would have been hard to believe he’d have to wait 1,071 for his first start in the Ireland 10 shirt.
Finally, that opportunity arrived at the McDonald Jones Stadium, but Frawley was looking to pull the strings in a new-look Ireland team, with his only start at out-half across the past year coming for Ireland A in February.
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The 28-year-old has covered the position off the bench, but it’s challenging to slot in and run a game with so few reps under your belt.
Ciarán Frawley challenges for a high ball against Dylan Riley and Kazuma Ueda. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Which perhaps fed into what was a nervy start. In the opening minutes, Frawley threw a loose pass behind him to send Ireland backwards in their own half.
Soon he was picking himself off the turf, slipping as he tried to get up and make a tackle as a messy Ireland lineout – which ran at just 78% – lead to Japan going over for the game’s opening try.
Then a more positive contribution, taking a hard, late bang before showcasing his footwork and linking up nicely with Jacob Stockdale as Ireland pieced together their best passage of play in the opening half, leading to Nick Timoney scoring the visitors’ first try.
Yet Frawley never fully settled, sticking a straight-forward conversion wide, not generating enough distance on some of his line kicking and getting blocked down after taking far too much time to get a kick away in the Ireland half. Too slow, too uncertain, and stuck behind a pack who couldn’t provide the desired platform.
He was far from the only player struggling to impact the game. Ireland’s malfunctioning set piece was a root cause of the flat, scrappy first-half performance, while scrum-half Craig Casey had similar issues as Ireland failed to play with the desired tempo.
Worryingly for those players, it could be a long wait to get another opportunity from the start. Farrell doesn’t hand out caps and a look at the calender suggest the next window to rotate his side is the November meeting with Fiji. After that, we’re into Six Nations before the World Cup countdown really ramps up.
Ireland's Stuart McCloskey is tackled by Japan's Taira Main and Jack Cornelsen. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The Ireland boss will have been more pleased with what he saw from Sean Jansen, debuting at number eight and playing like a man who feels there’s a shirt up for grabs next Saturday.
Connacht’s player of the season carried his fine provincial form onto the Test stage, leading Ireland’s fight with a series of punchy carries (12) and good contact work (14 tackles), his milestone night capped with a first try in green.
Jamie Osborne, shifted from wing to fullback this week, was far more effective in a more familiar role, stepping in as a second playmaker and running some smart lines.
Stuart McCloskey added clever touches, shaking off some of the cobwebs evident in Sydney, while Jimmy O’Brien was one of the more energetic presences during those scrappy periods, making two linebreaks and winning a turnover.
And as Ireland’s bench gave the team some momentum into the final quarter, Bundee Aki added some punch and Frawley looked more dangerous when getting the ball in his hands from fullback, adding a well-measured banana kick down the right.
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Cormac Izuchukwu got his legs pumping down the left flank, Nathan Doak brought more control and Jack Conan kept driving his team forward with 12 carries.
That final quarter push was where the game was settled, Sam Illo, Billy Bohan and Bryn Ward coming in for debuts as Ireland’s power game kept Japan at arm’s length, with Connacht pair Illo and Bohan central to steadying the Irish scrum.
Yet overpowering Japan won’t stress New Zealand, and this was not the desired warm-up for what’s coming in Eden Park next week.
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Ireland lack accuracy and energy in patchy performance
WE’VE SEEN THIS story before. Ireland make a bundle of changes for a Test they’re expected to win, and turn in a performance which lacks the usual tempo and accuracy Andy Farrell’s teams strive for.
Make no mistake, Ireland will be eaten alive if they produce a similarly slow start in Eden Park next weekend.
As the collective struggled for cohesion, it was hard for individuals to seize their opportunities.
Which meant a frustrating night for Ciarán Frawley, whose task here was no easy one. The Skerries man won his first Ireland cap in August 2023, coming off the bench to play 40 minutes in a summer Test against Italy. Even at that early stage in his international career it would have been hard to believe he’d have to wait 1,071 for his first start in the Ireland 10 shirt.
Finally, that opportunity arrived at the McDonald Jones Stadium, but Frawley was looking to pull the strings in a new-look Ireland team, with his only start at out-half across the past year coming for Ireland A in February.
The 28-year-old has covered the position off the bench, but it’s challenging to slot in and run a game with so few reps under your belt.
Which perhaps fed into what was a nervy start. In the opening minutes, Frawley threw a loose pass behind him to send Ireland backwards in their own half.
Soon he was picking himself off the turf, slipping as he tried to get up and make a tackle as a messy Ireland lineout – which ran at just 78% – lead to Japan going over for the game’s opening try.
Then a more positive contribution, taking a hard, late bang before showcasing his footwork and linking up nicely with Jacob Stockdale as Ireland pieced together their best passage of play in the opening half, leading to Nick Timoney scoring the visitors’ first try.
Yet Frawley never fully settled, sticking a straight-forward conversion wide, not generating enough distance on some of his line kicking and getting blocked down after taking far too much time to get a kick away in the Ireland half. Too slow, too uncertain, and stuck behind a pack who couldn’t provide the desired platform.
He was far from the only player struggling to impact the game. Ireland’s malfunctioning set piece was a root cause of the flat, scrappy first-half performance, while scrum-half Craig Casey had similar issues as Ireland failed to play with the desired tempo.
Worryingly for those players, it could be a long wait to get another opportunity from the start. Farrell doesn’t hand out caps and a look at the calender suggest the next window to rotate his side is the November meeting with Fiji. After that, we’re into Six Nations before the World Cup countdown really ramps up.
The Ireland boss will have been more pleased with what he saw from Sean Jansen, debuting at number eight and playing like a man who feels there’s a shirt up for grabs next Saturday.
Connacht’s player of the season carried his fine provincial form onto the Test stage, leading Ireland’s fight with a series of punchy carries (12) and good contact work (14 tackles), his milestone night capped with a first try in green.
Jamie Osborne, shifted from wing to fullback this week, was far more effective in a more familiar role, stepping in as a second playmaker and running some smart lines.
Stuart McCloskey added clever touches, shaking off some of the cobwebs evident in Sydney, while Jimmy O’Brien was one of the more energetic presences during those scrappy periods, making two linebreaks and winning a turnover.
And as Ireland’s bench gave the team some momentum into the final quarter, Bundee Aki added some punch and Frawley looked more dangerous when getting the ball in his hands from fullback, adding a well-measured banana kick down the right.
Cormac Izuchukwu got his legs pumping down the left flank, Nathan Doak brought more control and Jack Conan kept driving his team forward with 12 carries.
That final quarter push was where the game was settled, Sam Illo, Billy Bohan and Bryn Ward coming in for debuts as Ireland’s power game kept Japan at arm’s length, with Connacht pair Illo and Bohan central to steadying the Irish scrum.
Yet overpowering Japan won’t stress New Zealand, and this was not the desired warm-up for what’s coming in Eden Park next week.
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