Ireland 39-33 Japan
Ireland had to dig deep to avoid relegation to the World Trophy but in the end did enough to secure victory.
Ireland were outscored by five tries to four but the boot of out-half Harry Byrne was enough to secure their first win of the World Rugby U-20 Championship and prevent dropping out of the competition for the first time since it started in 2008.
But they were pushed all the way by a brave Japan who came in search of a late winner but couldn’t find a way through despite a 19-phase move at the death.
The result means Ireland finish eleventh out of the twelve teams in the tournament — their lowest ever — but at least will be involved when it is held in Argentina for the second time next year.
Ireland played against the strong breeze in the opening half and turned around at the interval leading by 22-12 after starting and finishing the half well.
Ireland, with captain Caelan Doris leading the way, got on top early on and hit the front after five minutes when scrum-half Jonny Stewart crossed.
Harry Byrne added the extras and a good lineout delivered a second try after eleven minutes when Doris fed his hooker Dan Sheehan to bulldoze over in the left corner.
But the handling errors which were rampant in their four defeats prior to this manifested themselves again in a game played in front of a couple of hundred supporters on the back pitch at Stade de la Meditterranee in Beziers.
Re-live the crucial try from @IrishRugby U20s star Tommy O'Brien and winning celebrations as Ireland secure their spot in the 2019 #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/F0EV3uoDLm
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) June 17, 2018
And Japan, so unlucky to lose to a late Georgia try on Tuesday, hit back and winger Halatoa Vailea got over for a converted try after 15 minutes.
They tied the game eight minutes later when a good lineout drive was eventually finished by tighthead Rento Tsukayama to leave it 12-12.
However, Ireland finished the half strongly. Byrne kicked a penalty after a superb break by Doris and then a 20-phase move six minutes from the interval was finished by Peter Sylvester to lead by 22-12 at the break.
Ireland pushed on after the restart with three penalties in the opening ten minutes of the second-half from Byrne to increase their lead to 31-12.
Japan hit back and their huge Tongan-born winger Siosaia Fifita got in for a converted try to cut the gap to 31-19 after 56 minutes.
And a nervous final quarter looked on the cards when Fifita got in for his second try in three minutes after poor Irish tackling to leave it 31-26.
Byrne eased the Irish nerves with another penalty after good work by the Irish pack.
However, Japan refused to die and they hit back for Vailea to get his second try six minutes from time, with Yuto Mori’s fourth conversion cutting the gap to 34-33.
Irish nerves were fraught but they responded superbly for Tommy O’Brien to seal the win with an excellent try in the left corner.
Byrne was unable to add the difficult conversion which ensured a nerve-wrecking closing few minutes when Japan strung a 19-phase move together but Ireland kept them at arm’s length before forcing a turnover.
Ireland: M Lowry (Ulster); J Humes (Ulster), S O’Brien (Leinster), P Sylvester (Munster), T O’Brien (Leinster); H Byrne (Leinster), J Stewart (Ulster); J Duggan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), J Aungier (Leinster); C Daly (Leinster), J Dunne (Leinster); J Daly (Munster), M Agnew (Ulster), C Doris (Leinster).
Replacements: J Dunleavy (Ulster) for Agnew (half-time), D Tierney (Connacht) for Sheehan (66), C Ryan (Leinster) for C Daly (66), H O’Sullivan (Leinster) for Stewart (70), J Byrne (Leinster) for Aungier (74).
Japan: K Yamasawa; H Vailea, S Vakalahi, Y Mori, S Fifita; H Mamada, A Hondo; Y Yamada, M Arai, R Tsukayama, K Shimokawa, R Hashimoto ; K Yamamoto, H Okayama, A Moala.
Replacements: S Fujiwar for Hondo (50), G Ishida for Yamada (53), S Oyama for Tsukayama (53), K Aibe for Yamamoto (70)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England).
