Ireland Breeze Past Japan In World Cup Opener

Women's World Cup - Pool C

Ireland (28) 42

Tries: Costigan, Jones, Parsons, Tuite, Higgins, Breen Cons: O'Brien 6

Japan (7) 14

Tries: Hirotsu, Kawamura Cons: Otsuka 2

Ireland opened their World Cup run pinch a six-try triumph complete Japan successful an awesome show astatine Franklin's Gardens.

Eight years connected from their past quality astatine a World Cup finals, this was an early connection of intent from Ireland pinch six different effort scorers successful Northampton.

Amee-Leigh Costigan, Neve Jones, Beibhinn Parsons and Fiona Tuite had nan prize constituent wrapped up earlier half-time pinch further second-half tries from Eve Higgins and Enya Breen.

All six were converted by Dannah O'Brien.

Japan scored a effort successful each half from Haruka Hirotsu and Masami Kawamura earlier Ireland mislaid prop Linda Djougang to nan sin-bin precocious on.

Ireland play Spain successful a 2nd Pool C crippled adjacent Sunday earlier a imaginable excavation decider against New Zealand successful 2 weeks' time.

Having grounded to suffice for nan past World Cup, this Ireland squad could not hold to get their tourney up and moving and it didn't return them agelong to make an early impression.

The forwards made a mates of early entries into Japan's 22 but could not penetrate truthful it fell to nan backs to conjure up thing creative.

Some slick passing released Costigan retired wide to people nan opening effort successful nan 5th minute.

When a punishment was kicked to nan area a fewer minutes later, Ireland's intent was clear and Jones rumbled complete for a 2nd effort pursuing a line-out maul that took a while to get going.

Having started slow successful nan warm-up games against Scotland and Canada, Ireland had talked each week astir nan pressing request to make a accelerated commencement successful this crippled – 2 tries and a 14-0 lead aft 10 minutes meant that container was surely ticked.

Despite a line-out that was creaking, Ireland's correction count was debased and they dictated nan terms, pinch O'Brien's kicking crippled forcing Japan to tally retired from heavy and inevitably get turned over.

Ireland's electrical helping Parsons has nan capacity to ray up this tourney if she gets capable ball.

The first clip she sewage beforehand ft shot successful nan game, she made it count pinch Ireland's 3rd effort successful nan 24th minute.

Costigan came crossed to her helping making nan telling pass, and though location was much aerial connected it than Parsons would person liked, she didn't break her stride and axenic velocity took her complete successful nan corner.

Another awesome conversion from O'Brien made it 21-0 and everything was going to scheme for Ireland.

Japan pulled a effort backmost conscionable earlier nan half hr mark.

Komachi Imakugi was denied retired wide by superb tackle by Stacey Flood, but they recycled and Hirotsu bundled complete for a deserved try. Otsuka added nan extras.

The guidance to Tuite's effort summed up nan togetherness and tone that now exists wrong this Ireland squad.

Eve Higgins made each nan moving but knew she was astir to beryllium caught and wisely passed wrong to nan support runner Tuite who conscionable had to powerfulness done nan past fewer metres to unafraid a 4th Irish effort and nan prize constituent aft 36 minutes.

She raised an limb successful ceremony to nan subs warming up down that extremity and they instantly ran complete and surrounded her.

For Ireland, it was a first half that had gone to plan, pinch O'Brien's conversion putting Ireland 28-7 up astatine nan interval.

Japan astatine times showed awesome patience and their 2nd try, overmuch for illustration their first, came aft they went done a number of phases up beforehand earlier flanker Kawamura dotted down.

The seven-pointer kept nan crippled absorbing and fixed nan one-sided quality of immoderate of nan excavation games truthful far, battling Japan astatine slightest tried to support nan crippled successful nan equilibrium for arsenic agelong arsenic they could.

They almost scored a 3rd effort but a slack walk almost connected nan Irish statement was gobbled up by Higgins who ran almost nan full magnitude of nan section unchallenged for effort number 5 for Ireland connected 53 minutes.

It was sadistic luck connected Japan, who looked group to people a 3rd effort but alternatively it was nan girls successful greenish who opened up a 35-14 lead.

There were nary existent complaints from Ireland erstwhile a consequent punishment effort was disallowed for obstruction and pinch a 4th of nan crippled to go, nan Ireland coaching unit called for nan replacements making 5 changes, 3 successful nan battalion and 2 backs.

One of nan replacements, Breen, collapsed complete for a sixth Irish effort soon aft pinch nan crippled getting stretched, bodies getting tired and thoughts inevitably turning towards a 2nd excavation crippled against Spain backmost present successful nan Gardens adjacent week.