Eire outscore Japan six tries to 2 to get off to successful begin in Pool C at Ladies’s Rugby World Cup in Northampton
Final Up to date: 24/08/25 2:34pm
Eire’s Fiona Tuite (third left, with ball) celebrates along with her team-mates after scoring her facet fourth attempt
Eve Higgins pounced with the important thing attempt as Eire emerged from a take a look at of character to launch their World Cup with a 42-14 victory over Japan.
Japan, positioned six locations under their opponents within the international rankings in eleventh place, had been within the midst of an swashbuckling fightback at Franklin’s Gardens as they battled to overturn a 28-14 deficit.
However, simply as they appeared destined to strike once more, excellent inside centre Higgins picked off a floating go and ran the size of the sphere to attain. It was a merciless blow for Japan to soak up and so they had been unable to recuperate.
Eire had proven their mettle to dispatch difficult Pool C opponents by benefiting from their higher physicality and it was early dealing with errors that prevented them from taking the lead ahead of wing Amee-Leigh Costigan’s fifth-minute attempt.
Japan had been already conceding yards involved and to ram dwelling Eire’s bodily superiority they rumbled over for a maul contact down that was completed by Neve Jones.
Eire’s Fiona Tuite (centre) celebrates after Eire’s Neve Jones (not pictured) scored their second attempt
Slowly the underdogs compelled their manner again in competition, displaying talent and athleticism in possession and so they went on to boss spells of the primary half with Haruka Hirotsu crashing over from brief vary to reward their efforts.
However Eire twice ignited in assault to storm clear with wings Costigan and Beibhinn Parsons combining superbly for a dynamic rating earlier than Fiona Tuite benefitted from Higgins’ slick footwork in midfield.
Japan’s maul took cost quickly after the interval, permitting flanker Masami Kawamura to cross, earlier than seeing one other promising interval finish within the face of stiff defending by the inexperienced shirts.
Eire are up and working on the Ladies’s Rugby World Cup
The perfect assault of the match adopted from the Sakura Fifteen as they used their tempo, agility and dealing with to pressure opening after opening, just for Higgins to strike for the time being when Eire appeared to sure to crack once more.
It was a painful setback for Japan, who had been roared on by the neutrals at Franklin’s Gardens, and so they leaked one other attempt to alternative Enya Breen with Eire ending strongly.
‘Video games are by no means good’
Eire head coach Scott Bemand to BBC: “Games are never perfect. Getting off to a fast start was an important part of what we worked on.
“We had been sluggish out of the blocks within the second half so getting the bonus level earlier than half-time was fairly essential actually for a younger workforce, 17 caps on common.”
New Zealand play Spain in a while Sunday and Pool C resumes on August 31 with Eire going through Spain in Northampton at 12pm earlier than Japan tackle defending champions New Zealand in Exeter at 2pm.
