After an underwhelming 41-10 victory for Ireland over Japan in Dublin on Saturday, here\u2019s our five takeaways from the Autumn Nations Series fixture at Aviva Stadium.<\/p>\n
The top line<\/p>\n
60-5 was the result here in 2021 when the sides last clashed, Ireland<\/a> producing some scintillating, free-flowing rugby in a compelling nine-try success. Here, fielding a team with eight changes from last week\u2019s loss to the All Blacks<\/a> in Chicago, they fluffed their lines badly for a very long time.<\/p>\n A scoreline of just 17-10, two-tries-to-one at the break, was concerning and the humdrum continued into the second half, where it wasn\u2019t until the 66th-minute, when sub Gus McCarthy\u2019s maul try made it 27-10, that the restless home fans could breathe a small bit easier.<\/p>\n Two further tries followed to spin the margin of the six-tries-to-one victory out to 31 points, but this Irish performance should have been much, much smoother given the tier-two status of the opposition they were hosting.<\/p>\n After all, the team they fielded ahead of the follow-up, more intense fixtures versus Australia and South Africa, still possessed a strong spine in the presence of Caelan Doris, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne and Jack Crowley<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doris was pumped and was especially useful with his contribution in the Irish defence, but the overall collective performance simply didn\u2019t click, certainly not in a first half where lineout accuracy and creativity on the ball suffered.<\/p>\n They did manage to build a 17-point buffer. A scrum infringement got Ireland on the board with a sixth-minute Crowley penalty, but it needed a yellow card 11 minutes later for Charlie Lawrence\u2019s tip tackle on Tom Farrell for the hosts to start stringing things together more threateningly.<\/p>\n The numerical imbalance had a clear role in the opening try on 20 minutes, the Japanese cover left scrambling by a Thomas Clarkson bust into the 22 following a raid down the right, and the recycle ended with Doris providing the assist for Crowley\u2019s easy run-in on the left.<\/p>\n That was the extent of the damage inflicted by Ireland, and they instead had to wait until the 30th minute to pounce again, Japan paying a heavy price for not playing to the whistle. The visitors were caught napping, waiting for the referee to call a halt to play after a Beirne fumble.<\/p>\n The ball, though, had gone backwards from Beirne\u2019s error and Ryan reacted quickest, popping a pass to invite Nick Timoney to gallop in the score from the 22.<\/p>\n It was a laboured spectacle not helped by Ronan Kelleher\u2019s unconvincing time at the lineout, and the Irish were wounded by what conspired in the closing minutes of the half as they saw their 17-point lead shaved to seven, and they also lost Jacob Stockdale to a yellow card.<\/p>\n It was a 37th-minute maul that got the Japanese on the board with a converted try, Kenji Sato credited with the touch, and Seungsin Lee then added a penalty after Stockdale saw yellow for a high tackle on Kippei Ishida.<\/p>\n Why World Rugby prevented Nigel Owens from speaking about Tadhg Beirne incident<\/a><\/p>\n This situation now added an unexpected layer of intrigue to the start of the second half, but Japan never went all out to heap on the pressure with a man advantage. Instead, Ireland headed off the potential crisis with a 48th-minute unconverted Porter try.<\/p>\n The under-par Crowley was soon hooked for Sam Prendergast as part of a three-player switch that was followed by the 54th-minute try from Stockdale that was disallowed for offside.<\/p>\n That decision left Ireland waiting a further 12 minutes before securing a three-score lead, McCarthy touching down at the back of a maul. His namesake Paddy, the sub loosehead, added another on 72 with Tommy O\u2019Brien getting in on the back four minutes later.<\/p>\n This late flourish, though, can\u2019t dilute the flakiness of what preceded it. A win for Ireland, but rather than burnishing confidence, the mundane standard of the exercise for more than an hour only sounded the alarm with Joe Schmidt\u2019s Wallabies and Rassie Erasmus\u2019 Springboks coming over the horizon.<\/p>\n World Rugby rankings: Springboks and All Blacks battle for top spot while mouth-watering weekend set to impact Rugby World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n Irish lineout issues continue<\/p>\n It was midweek when Planet Rugby highlighted the ongoing troubles that the Irish lineout has been experiencing in the last while. They were only 11 from 16 on their own throw in Chicago with Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher on the oche, and it hurt them in the 13-26 loss.<\/p>\n Ultimately, there was no L suffered against the Japanese, but you would have expected a big uptick in the bumbling Irish set-piece. Except it didn\u2019t materialise. With Kelleher named as the starter, his throwing accuracy was worryingly only three from six, 29 minutes into the contest.<\/p>\n Most damaging was his penalised dummied throw after a penalty had been kicked to the corner. That was at a time when Ireland should have been making hay, but they were left flustered, and it denied them the pressure needed to fracture a plucky Japanese pack.<\/p>\n Remember, this is a Paul O\u2019Connell-coached lineout with Beirne and Ryan as its on-field guardians. However, something isn\u2019t gelling. Is it that Ireland have hookers in Sheehan and Kelleher \u2013 both 2025 British and Irish Lions tourists \u2013 who are more focused on general play contributions than being nailed-on accurate with their bread-and-butter task?<\/p>\n Whatever it is, it was interesting to see how more cohesive the lineout became when rookie hooker McCarthy was sent on as a 58th-minute replacement. He scored off one maul, and another throw also led to a score.<\/p>\n That was a good note on which to round off the day, but there can be no getting away from this general lineout headache. A remedy must be found.<\/p>\n Ex-Ireland forward explains how lack of \u2018world-class operators\u2019 in key area is affecting Andy Farrell\u2019s side<\/a><\/p>\n Jury back out on Crowley<\/p>\n Having forced his way back into the section following a run of consistent fine form with Munster, this was a stage set for Crowley to flourish and boss a fixture like the way Johnny Sexton used to do.<\/p>\n The out-half, who selection jostle with Sam Prendergast has been a hot topic for a year now, did get off to a decent start, scoring the first try with Japan a man down. But Crowley never kicked on from there, and his box of tricks remained shut.<\/p>\n That would have been to the immense frustration of the likes of the debut-making Farrell, who didn\u2019t get much of an invite in space to make a lasting impression, and it can\u2019t go unnoticed that Ireland finished with more of a zip about them with Prendergast on as a replacement.<\/p>\n Now, it has to be factored in that the Japanese at this late stage were blowing hard, so it was easier for the sub to make headway, but it will stoke the No.10 selection debate ahead of the visit of the Wallabies.<\/p>\n At least the fit-again Doris produced a standout performance at No.8 in his first Test start since March to demonstrate that there is zero rustiness regarding his level of play.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll give Tommy O\u2019Brien a mention also, as his determination to keep trying was ultimately rewarded with his late score, but there is much for Ireland to do yet to get back to the clinical levels they enjoyed in 2024.<\/p>\n