Japan recreate the Miracle of Brighton with incredible win over Ireland
Japan shocked the globe for the second time in four years by stunning Ireland 19-12 to light a bomb under Pool A and a fire under their home World Cup. The Brave Blossoms tore through Ireland time and time again in Shizuoka,
triumphing through superior tenacity and supreme intensity.
The world’s 10th-ranked team beat the second-best outfit, who entered this tournament ranked number one in the standings. Wing Kenki Fukuoka ran in the try that sealed Japan’s famous victory, immediately invoking memories of their breathless 34-32 win over South Africa in Brighton in 2015.
Fukuoka was not even meant to be in the match squad, but stepped onto the bench when William Tupou picked up a late injury and Lomano Lemeki started. The 27-year-old stormed in at the corner to send the Shizuoka Stadium
Ecopa into delirium though, and rip up the pre-written expectations for Pool A.
Ireland failed to cope with Japan’s intensity and precision, and this defeat leaves their group wide open. Joe Schmidt’s men would have expected to move from their potent 27-3 win over Scotland and press through to top Pool A for a quarter-final against South Africa.
If Japan could repeat this level of performance however, it could be the Brave Blossoms who top the pool, with the hosts having already bested Russia 30-10. That would leave Ireland and Scotland scrapping it out for second place,
and a possible quarter-final against back-to-back world champions New Zealand.
(Continue reading below…)
Garry Ringrose and Rob Kearney bagged early tries as Ireland’s clear plan to expose Japan’s failings under the high ball paid good dividend. Jack Carty had a fine first-half in deputising for Johnny Sexton on just his second Test start.
But Japan refused to let Ireland gain any control through the dominance of possession, and the hosts’ relentless pace caught boss Schmidt’s men off guard. Japan will move on to face Samoa in Toyota on Saturday, with a brittle
Scotland doubtless now very nervous about taking on the tournament hosts in Yokohama on Sunday, October 13. Ireland meanwhile will take on Russia in Kobe on Thursday, with much wound-licking to come between now and then.
Tamura missed a regulation shot at goal as Japan opened the clash at a furious pace. Once Ireland settled, Schmidt’s men set up Japan perfectly for Carty to bag full reward from a crossfield punt. Ringrose comfortably beat Lemeki to the high ball, fielding cleanly and finishing in style.
Tamura’s first penalty had Japan on the board after Peter O’Mahony was ruled offside at a ruck. But Ireland bulldozed the Japan scrum, punted the penalty upfield for a good platform – and Carty again outfoxed the home defence with his kicking game. The 27-year-old chipped over the line, tapped back – and full-back Kearney scooped up to barrel home for the try.
A lost lineout put Ireland under huge pressure as Japan continued to race forward at a hectic pace. Conor Murray was pinged for killing the ball in his own 22, so Tamura posted the facile penalty to cut Ireland’s lead to 12-6.
Another Tamura penalty allowed Japan to cut Ireland’s lead to just three points. And Ireland were so rattled by the Japanese onslaught that Carty sent the restart dead, handing the hosts a scrum on the halfway line. Japan stole the chance for one last attack in the half, ploughing through 16 phases with time well and truly up.
But just when the hosts looked to have broken Ireland’s defence, hooker Shota Horie’s grubber kick evaded the onrushing Lomano Lemeki – and Ireland tiptoed to half-time with that slender 12-9 lead.
Japan continued to threaten, until Ireland won a scrum penalty and kicked to the corner rather than for goal. Ireland duly lost the lineout however, wasting the hard-won platform. Japan kept on coming, time and again, and eventually Fukuoka crossed in the left corner.
CJ Stander collided with Chris Farrell in a bungled break from a scrum, gifting Japan the scrum deep in the Ireland 22. The pumped-up hosts lapped up the chance, powering through the middle before whipping the ball wide. Tamura’s fine conversion then put Japan into a 16-12 lead on the hour.
Ireland emptied the bench and pressed for a score to turn the tide, but it never came. And when Tamura posted his fourth penalty for a 19-12 lead, Japan’s stunning victory was complete.
– Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments