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Ireland get perfect start at Rugby World Cup with six-try win over Japan

Updated / Monday, 25 Aug 2025 10:41

Back on the big stage after an eight-year gap, Ireland didn't disappoint.

There were some nervy moments but overall, Scott Bemand's side dominated in a full-deserved six-try win over Japan at a warm and sunny Franklin's Gardens in Northampton.

It was exactly the result and performance that the team would have wanted from their opening Pool C fixture.

They had enough quality moments in attack and defence to fully merit a 28-point winning margin.

First-half tries from Amee-Leigh Costigan, Neve Jones, Béibhinn Parsons and Fiona Tuite set Ireland on their way, with Eve Higgins and Enya Breen adding scores in the second period.

Out-half Dannah O'Brien was flawless off the tee, landing all six conversions, while Brittany Hogan was named player of the match.

24 August 2025; Ireland players stand for the playing of the national anthems before the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C match between Ireland and Japan at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton, England. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Ireland had targeted a fast start after early lapses in their warm-up games and that was exactly what they got, scoring their first World Cup try in over eight years in the fifth minute.

It could have come even sooner but Brittany Hogan and Aoibheann Reilly were denied on the line after Ireland enjoyed a spell of pressure in the 22.

However, as soon as they settled in and moved the ball wide, they got their rewards.

Hogan and Sam Monaghan carried over the gainline and Eve Higgins found Stacey Flood, who in turn passed to Costigan.

The winger had a defender to beat but brushed her off and raced in, with O'Brien adding the conversion.

The second came five minutes later after Ireland won a penalty when prop Wako Kitano was too slow to roll away.

O'Brien, who kicked superbly, found the corner and the pack went through their process for a lineout maul try, taken down by Monaghan and finished by Jones for her 13th international score.

Both sides were sloppy out of touch, Ireland losing four of their own lineout throws and were perhaps lucky that they weren't punished with good positional kicking from out-half Ayasa Otsuka and carries by centre Haruka Hirotsu.

But they absorbed the pressure and a maul turnover was followed by a booming O'Brien clearance that preceded a third try.

Costigan came off her wing and resisted a long pass before rounding her marker and floating the ball out for Parsons.

The winger did well to take it in but once she had she was never going to be stopped in a race to the corner.

Japan however responded well, taking advantage of an overcooked O'Brien kick and a sloppy pass by Hogan.

Flood initially saved a certain try with a superb tackle on wing Komachi Imakugi in the corner, but two phases later Hirotsu powered over to score a try that was converted by Otsuka.

Once again it was clinical finishing from Bemand's side that set them apart, with Higgins shooting through the smallest of gaps before beating two more defenders in the 22.

She managed to get a hand free to lay off the softest of passes to Tuite who had run in support.

The flanker touched down close to the posts to secure a bonus points and O'Brien kicked her fourth conversion of the half to give Ireland a healthy and deserved 28-7 lead at the break.

Lesley McKenzie's side dominated the start of the second half and scored just three minutes in.

Reilly was too slow to roll away and the Sakura XV mauled for the lineout after the subsequent penalty.

They were initially stopped but stayed patient and flanker Masami Kawamura powered over.

They looked certain to score a third moments later when some weak tackling in a disjointed line saw Kawamura and Imakugi work their way into the 22.

Winger Misaki Matsumura was stopped just short but scrum-half Moe Tsukui saw her slow pass intercepted by Higgins who ran the full length of the immaculate Franklin's Garden pitch to dive in under the posts to a huge cheer from the boisterous crowd.

It was a huge momentum swing from which Japan could not recover.

Ireland were denied a penalty try a few minutes later when Japan brought down a maul close to the line, the TMO spotting an obstruction penalty against Monaghan at the lineout.

But that was a temporary reprieve, as Breen, just on as a replacement for the superb Higgins, field a brilliant flat pass from Reilly close to the line for try number six.

Linda Djougang, who had another fine game in the set-piece and loose, was sent to the bin for preventing a quick tap penalty and Japan applied pressure inside the Irish 22 but couldn't take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Ireland, who face Spain next Sunday, are up and running.

Scorers

Ireland: Tries - Costigan, Jones, Parsons, Tuite, Higgins, Breen

Cons - O'Brien (6)

Yellow card: Djougang

Japan: Tries - Hirotsu, Kawamura

Cons - Otsuka (2)

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O'Brien; Aoibheann Reilly, Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (co-captain); Fiona Tuite, Edel McMahon (co-captain), Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Jones 61), Ellena Perry (O'Dowd 61), Sadhbh McGrath (McMahon 76), Eimear Corri-Fallon (Campbell 61), Grace Moore (Hogan 74), Emily Lane (Reilly 74), Enya Breen (Higgins 61), Anna McGann (Costigan 61).

Japan: Sora Nishimura; Misaki Matsumara, Mana Furuta, Haruka Hirotsu, Komachi Imakugi; Ayasa Otsuka, Moe Tsukui; Sachiko Kato, Asuka Kuge, Wako Kitano; Yuna Sato, Otoka Yoshimura; Masami Kawamura, Iroha Nagata (capt), Seina Saito

Replacements: Kotomi Taniguchi (Kuge 64), Manami Mine (Kato 61), Nijiho Nagata (Kitano 51), Ayana Sakurai (Yoshimura 51), Kyoko Hosokawa (Saito 61), Megumi Abe (Tsukui 61), Minori Yamamoto (Nishimura 61), Sakurako Hatada (Imakugi 69)

Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)

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Michael Glennon RTÉ Sport Journalist

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Michael Glennon

RTÉ Sport Journalist