Ireland secured a 36-20 bonus-point victory against Japan in the Nations Championship, marking their second win from two matches. The Irish squad featured several new players, including Sean Jansen, who marked his international debut with a try.
Despite a spirited performance from the Brave Blossoms, Ireland's depth proved decisive. The victory builds on their previous success in the tournament, reinforcing their strong start.
The match saw a reshuffled Irish lineup face a competitive Japanese side. The final score reflected Ireland's ability to secure the win and the crucial bonus point, a testament to their performance despite significant team changes. The Japanese team, led by captain Warner Dearns, put in a determined effort throughout the match.
Notable players for Japan included Takuro Matsunaga, Kazuma Ueda, Dylan Riley, Yuya Hirose, Taira Main, Ryunosuke Ito, Naoto Saito, Takato Okabe, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Harry Hockings, Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, and Jack Cornelsen. Their replacements were Hayate Era, Sojiro Otuska, Keijiro Tamefusa, Michael Stolberg, Michael Leitch, Tiennan Costley, Itsuki Kamimura, and Sam Greene. Hayate Era received a sin-bin in the 78th minute.
Ireland's starting lineup featured Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O'Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Ciaran Frawley, Craig Casey, Tom O'Toole, Ronan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, and Sean Jansen. Their replacements included Tom Stewart, Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Cormac Izuchukwu, Bryn Ward, Nathan Doak, Harry Byrne, and Bundee Aki. The match was officiated by referee Andrea Piardi from Italy.