Share

Ireland beat Japan to complete whitewash

Tokyo - Ireland overpowered Japan 35-13 on Saturday to finish with a perfect record in their three-game summer tour.

Joe Schmidt's second-string side looked on course to rack up 50 points for the third successive match as they ran in four first-half tries in Tokyo.

The signs were ominous for Japan's "Brave Blossoms" when Gary Ringrose scored under the posts and flanker Josh van der Flier wriggled over in the corner in the first 10 minutes.

Bulldozing tries from Kieran Marmion and stand-in skipper Rhys Ruddock further stretched the lead for Ireland, the bulk of whose regular players are on British and Irish Lions duty in New Zealand.

Japan's sole glimmer of hope had been Kotaro Matsushima's fine try on 24 minutes but after trailing 28-8 at half-time, the 2019 World Cup hosts offered significantly more resistance after the interval.

Akihito Yamada raced clear to score Japan's second try, while Ireland narrowly avoided going scoreless in the second half thanks to Sean Reidy's late effort.

Fly-half Paddy Jackson converted all five tries for Ireland, who crushed Japan 50-22 last weekend and also broke the 50-point mark against the United States in their opening tour game in New Jersey.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1777 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE