AFTER AN EIGHT-year wait to get back on the biggest stage, Ireland made a winning start to their 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign by notching up a bonus-point win against Japan in Northampton.
Appearing at the tournament for the first time since 2017, Ireland had too much quality for Japan, ranked 11th in the world, as they ran in six tries at Franklin’s Gardens — Amee-Leigh Costigan, Neve Jones, Béibhinn Parsons, Fiona Tuite, Eve Higgins and Enya Breen the try-scorers, all converted by out-half Dannah O’Brien.
Scott Bemand’s side can now look to next Sunday’s meeting with Spain (ranked 13th) with confidence, before a massive Pool C closer against New Zealand in Brighton.
Ireland came to the tournament without key players in Dorothy Wall and Erin King, both ruled out through injury, while Aoife Wafer — who was in attendance after following the squad out to Northampton this weekend — is in a race to be fit for the Black Ferns clash.
Linda Djougang, Ruth Campbell and Fiona Tuite during the anthems. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Yet Bemand’s team still had more than enough to see off Japan with some ease, scoring some brilliant tries and delivering a number of impressive defensive sets in an encouraging team performance.
Ireland came to Northampton determined to start fast, having been frustrated to fall 14-0 behind in both of their warm-up fixtures against Scotland and Canada. Having identified that as a key work on Bemand will have been delighted with the response. His side were 14-0 up after 10 minutes and had the bonus point secured by half-time, by which point they led 28-7.
And yet they will acknowledge this was far from a complete performance. The first half brought a host of poor lineouts and a number of handling errors. Still, Ireland were able to brush off these sloppy moments and deliver flashes of real quality with ball in hand.
Ireland built a strong attacking platform in the opening minutes and came close to scoring through Aoibheann Reilly following a lineout in the Japan 22, yet the scrum-half lost the ball on the tryline under pressure from Otoka Yoshimura. Ireland then lost the next lineout, a trend which would continue.
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Four minutes in, they had the lead through an incisive piece of attacking play. Brittany Hogan made a big carry off a clean lineout before Ireland shifted the ball to the left wing through Stacey Flood and Higgins, before Costigan ran the ball home, with O’Brien converting.
On 10 minutes, the lead was doubled. After winning a penalty, Ireland opted for the corner. Jones hit Sam Monaghan before the hooker joined the maul and powered through, with O’Brien again converting.
Japan were struggling to deal with the pace and quality of Ireland’s attacking play, but briefly built some momentum. However, a sustained period of pressure in the Ireland 22 ended with the Sakura 15 leaving empty-handed, through a mix of poor decision-making and strong Irish defence.
Instead, it would be Ireland who crossed again, Parsons, who has recovered from two leg breaks over the past 12 months, showcasing her pace with a trademark score. Following a forward pass from Japan, Ireland’s scrum was strong and Bemand’s team moved the ball through hands. Costigan, initially shaping for a pass, identified a defender shooting up and instead attacked the space and cleverly delayed her pass wide to Parsons. Once the Galway flyer had the ball in hands, there was only going to be one outcome. O’Brien stepped up to make it three from three off the tee.
Stacey Flood tackled by Masami Kawamura Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Japan finally managed to put some points on the board approaching the half-hour mark, but Ireland will be deeply disappointed with their own contributions to the score. Errors in the build-up included a loose Hogan pass and another messy lineout, mistakes which invited Japan on.
Sensing opportunity, Japan went coast-to-coast, but Flood chased across to make a superb try-saving tackle on winger Komachi Imakugi. However, Japan were quick to recycle the ball and after moving into a more central position, centre Haruka Hirotsu got the ball down, with Ayasa Otsuka adding the conversion.
Ireland responded well to conceding by finishing the half in the ascendancy and bagging the bonus point score.
It came via flanker Tuite, her first for Ireland, but owed much to the brilliance of Higgins.
Spotting a gap in the Japan defence, the centre accelerated into the space, stepped a defender and then had the awareness to offload out the back to Tuite with two Japan players clawing at her, Tuite getting the reward for running a good support line. O’Brien’s conversion wrapped up a positive opening 40 for Ireland.
Eve Higgins breaks past Japan's Moe Tsukui and Sora Nishimura. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland would start the second period stuck in their own half, Japan showcasing their improved maul before Masami Kawamura forced her way over the line three minutes after the restart, Otsuka adding her second conversion.
Japan continued to try to claw back the deficit, leading to a disciplined defensive set by Ireland, which ended with Linda Djougang winning a jackal penalty.
Japan kept coming, but Ireland’s defence stood up impressively. Playing off kick return, the Japanese threatened again by cutting through down the left, leaving winger Misaki Matsumura racing for the line, only for Reilly to produce a superb tackle. Japan looked to keep the ball alive, but Higgins picked off a pass and raced end-to-end, the score a major blow for Japan following their efforts.
The moment felt like the final blow for Japan, and Ireland appeared to have put further space on the scoreboard by adding a penalty try on the hour. However, the score was chalked off following a TMO review, with Monaghan and Ruth Campbell deemed to have obstructed at the lineout.
Ireland didn’t have to wait long to make amends, with Breen — only moments on the pitch — latching onto a pass to score after great play from the Ireland forwards, handing O’Brien another straightforward conversion.
Ireland played out the final 10 minutes with 14 players after losing Djougang to a yellow card for failing to allow a quick-tap penalty, and while Japan never stopped trying to add some points to their name, Ireland held firm.
Ireland will be back at Franklin’s Gardens next Sunday as they look to take another step toward the quarter-finals. They will feel the best is yet to come.
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Higgins shines as Ireland launch World Cup campaign with 6-try defeat of Japan
Ireland 42
Japan 14
AFTER AN EIGHT-year wait to get back on the biggest stage, Ireland made a winning start to their 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign by notching up a bonus-point win against Japan in Northampton.
Appearing at the tournament for the first time since 2017, Ireland had too much quality for Japan, ranked 11th in the world, as they ran in six tries at Franklin’s Gardens — Amee-Leigh Costigan, Neve Jones, Béibhinn Parsons, Fiona Tuite, Eve Higgins and Enya Breen the try-scorers, all converted by out-half Dannah O’Brien.
Scott Bemand’s side can now look to next Sunday’s meeting with Spain (ranked 13th) with confidence, before a massive Pool C closer against New Zealand in Brighton.
Ireland came to the tournament without key players in Dorothy Wall and Erin King, both ruled out through injury, while Aoife Wafer — who was in attendance after following the squad out to Northampton this weekend — is in a race to be fit for the Black Ferns clash.
Yet Bemand’s team still had more than enough to see off Japan with some ease, scoring some brilliant tries and delivering a number of impressive defensive sets in an encouraging team performance.
Ireland came to Northampton determined to start fast, having been frustrated to fall 14-0 behind in both of their warm-up fixtures against Scotland and Canada. Having identified that as a key work on Bemand will have been delighted with the response. His side were 14-0 up after 10 minutes and had the bonus point secured by half-time, by which point they led 28-7.
And yet they will acknowledge this was far from a complete performance. The first half brought a host of poor lineouts and a number of handling errors. Still, Ireland were able to brush off these sloppy moments and deliver flashes of real quality with ball in hand.
Ireland built a strong attacking platform in the opening minutes and came close to scoring through Aoibheann Reilly following a lineout in the Japan 22, yet the scrum-half lost the ball on the tryline under pressure from Otoka Yoshimura. Ireland then lost the next lineout, a trend which would continue.
Four minutes in, they had the lead through an incisive piece of attacking play. Brittany Hogan made a big carry off a clean lineout before Ireland shifted the ball to the left wing through Stacey Flood and Higgins, before Costigan ran the ball home, with O’Brien converting.
On 10 minutes, the lead was doubled. After winning a penalty, Ireland opted for the corner. Jones hit Sam Monaghan before the hooker joined the maul and powered through, with O’Brien again converting.
Japan were struggling to deal with the pace and quality of Ireland’s attacking play, but briefly built some momentum. However, a sustained period of pressure in the Ireland 22 ended with the Sakura 15 leaving empty-handed, through a mix of poor decision-making and strong Irish defence.
Instead, it would be Ireland who crossed again, Parsons, who has recovered from two leg breaks over the past 12 months, showcasing her pace with a trademark score. Following a forward pass from Japan, Ireland’s scrum was strong and Bemand’s team moved the ball through hands. Costigan, initially shaping for a pass, identified a defender shooting up and instead attacked the space and cleverly delayed her pass wide to Parsons. Once the Galway flyer had the ball in hands, there was only going to be one outcome. O’Brien stepped up to make it three from three off the tee.
Japan finally managed to put some points on the board approaching the half-hour mark, but Ireland will be deeply disappointed with their own contributions to the score. Errors in the build-up included a loose Hogan pass and another messy lineout, mistakes which invited Japan on.
Sensing opportunity, Japan went coast-to-coast, but Flood chased across to make a superb try-saving tackle on winger Komachi Imakugi. However, Japan were quick to recycle the ball and after moving into a more central position, centre Haruka Hirotsu got the ball down, with Ayasa Otsuka adding the conversion.
Ireland responded well to conceding by finishing the half in the ascendancy and bagging the bonus point score.
It came via flanker Tuite, her first for Ireland, but owed much to the brilliance of Higgins.
Spotting a gap in the Japan defence, the centre accelerated into the space, stepped a defender and then had the awareness to offload out the back to Tuite with two Japan players clawing at her, Tuite getting the reward for running a good support line. O’Brien’s conversion wrapped up a positive opening 40 for Ireland.
Ireland would start the second period stuck in their own half, Japan showcasing their improved maul before Masami Kawamura forced her way over the line three minutes after the restart, Otsuka adding her second conversion.
Japan continued to try to claw back the deficit, leading to a disciplined defensive set by Ireland, which ended with Linda Djougang winning a jackal penalty.
Japan kept coming, but Ireland’s defence stood up impressively. Playing off kick return, the Japanese threatened again by cutting through down the left, leaving winger Misaki Matsumura racing for the line, only for Reilly to produce a superb tackle. Japan looked to keep the ball alive, but Higgins picked off a pass and raced end-to-end, the score a major blow for Japan following their efforts.
The moment felt like the final blow for Japan, and Ireland appeared to have put further space on the scoreboard by adding a penalty try on the hour. However, the score was chalked off following a TMO review, with Monaghan and Ruth Campbell deemed to have obstructed at the lineout.
Ireland didn’t have to wait long to make amends, with Breen — only moments on the pitch — latching onto a pass to score after great play from the Ireland forwards, handing O’Brien another straightforward conversion.
Ireland played out the final 10 minutes with 14 players after losing Djougang to a yellow card for failing to allow a quick-tap penalty, and while Japan never stopped trying to add some points to their name, Ireland held firm.
Ireland will be back at Franklin’s Gardens next Sunday as they look to take another step toward the quarter-finals. They will feel the best is yet to come.
Ireland scorers:
Tries – Costigan, Jones, Parsons, Tuite, Higgins, Breen.
Conversions – O’Brien [6/6]
Japan scorers:
Tries – Hirotsu, Kawamura
Conversions – Otsuke [2/2]
IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins (Enya Breen, 61), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Anna McGann, 61); Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly (Emily Lane, 74); Niamh O’Dowd (Ellena Perry, 61), Neve Jones (Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 61), Linda Djougang (Sadhbh McGrath, 76); Ruth Campbell (Eimear Corri-Fallon, 61), Sam Monaghan (co-capt); Fiona Tuite, Edel McMahon (co-capt), Brittany Hogan (Grace Moore, 74).
Yellow card: Djougang 69.
JAPAN: Sora Nishimura (Minori Yamamoto, 61); Misaki Matsumura, Mana Furuta, Haruka Hirotsu, Komachi Imakugi (Sakurako Hatada, 68); Ayasa Otsuka, Moe Tsukui (Megumi Abe, 61); Sachiko Kato (Manami Mine, 61), Asuka Kuge (Kotomi Taniguchi, 64), Wako Kitano (Nijiho Nagata, 50); Yuna Sato, Otoka Yoshimura ( Ayano Sakurai, 51); Masami Kawamura, Iroha Nagata (capt), Seina Saito (Kyoko Hosokawa, 61).
Referee: Clara Munarini
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