20 mins: TRY IRELAND! That’s a brilliant score from ack Crowley and from virtually nowhere. Wonderful passing and movement between forwards and back across the field, a line break from Thomas Clarkson and Crowley runs a sweep to collect Caelan Doris’ pass.
18 mins: Officials are now looking at whether Charlie Lawrence is guilty of a tip tackle on Tom Farrell. Doesn’t look great – and it’s a YELLOW CARD and a bunker review for the Japanese centre
16 mins: Dance music pumping through the tannoy as we wait for a lineout – and after the lineout goes in. It is any wonder modern crowds are said to be quieter?
14 mins: Japan threatening with some really good, evasive runs here down Tommy O’Brien’s wing. Ireland getting some practise with their exits from the ’22’
7 mins:
Ireland 3-0 Japan. Jack Crowley sends over a fairly simple penalty from maybe 35m out and more or less in front of the posts to get the scoreboard ticking after Japan collapse the scrum
4 mins: Japan ran a second-string Aussie side close in Tokyo before being filleted by the Springboks in London last week. They’ve survived the opening few exchanges here.
12:40: And we’re off…
12:35: Japan’s anthem is still as amazing as ever! Memories of 2019 flooding back here. Barry Murphy on duty again for Ireland’s anthems
12:33: The band is on the pitch and ready, the teams are coming out. The crowd is… taking its time coming in
12:28: Ireland’s game is the first of five big Test-matches today, ending with the blockbuster clash of France and South Africa in Saint-Denis, kick-off 8.10pm. Deep breath…
12:24: When great minds meet…
Eddie Jones 🤝 Andy Farrell#QuilterNS #IREvJPN #QCNS pic.twitter.com/ZbapeOkHDO
— Quilter Nations Series (@QuilterNations) November 8, 2025
12:18: A reminder of the Ireland team and replacements before we get going…
Ready to represent! 👊 pic.twitter.com/bmtjnF59hZ
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 8, 2025
12:15: It’s a big day for these two Munster men, with Jack Crowley going again at No.10 and Craig Casey coming in alongside him at scrum-half.
Jack Crowley and Craig Casey of Ireland before the Quilter Nations Series 2025 match against Japan at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
12:02: Good afternoon (barely) from the Aviva Stadium press box. I’m Brendan O’Brien and it’s a positively balmy 13 degrees here, the sky is a brilliant blue and we’re still digesting our breakfasts so your usual ingredients for a November international then!
Kick-off here is at 12.40pm so not long to go…
It’s an interesting day today with Andy Farrell having made eight changes to the team that fell off a cliff in the last quarter in Chicago against a clunky All Blacks team last week.
I sat down with our rugby correspondent Simon Lewis to look at the game to come and the wider picture as Ireland look to go again…