June International Tests: Japan vs. Ireland (17/06/2017)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: ECOPA Stadium
Time: 07:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I was very disappointed by the Japanese pack against Romania despite having their big name players. I think Irelands reserves will boss them up front and even if Japan bring out their top backs for this one they won't have enough quality possession to win. Will be very entertaining though.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Let's make them fear hosting the World Cup, time to place all your eggs in the Scottish basket boys.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Japan side. Surprise for me is Matsushima not at 15 and star player Yamada not playing (I guess injured) and no captain Tatekawa. Otherwise looks like a fairly strong side. I think there is no chance of victory without their best XV though.

1-Keita Inagaki (Sunwolves, 14 caps) 2-(c) Shota Horie (Sunwolves, 50 caps) 3-Heiichiro Ito (Sunwolves, 5 caps) 4-Kotaro Yatabe (Sunwolves, 13 caps) 5-Uwe Helu (Sunwolves, 4 caps) 6-Michael Leitch (Chiefs, 48 caps) 7-Yoshitaka Tokunaga (Sunwolves, 5 caps) 8-Amanaki Lelei Mafi (Rebels, 14 caps) 9-Fumiaki Tanaka (Sunwolves, 59 caps) 10-Yu Tamura (Sunwolves, 43 caps) 11-Kenki Fukuoka (Sunwolves, 20 caps) 12-Timothy Lafaele (Sunwolves, 5 caps) 13-Will Tupou (Sunwolves, 0 cap) 14-Kotaro Matsushima (Sunwolves, 23 caps) 15-Ryuji Noguchi (Tokai Univ., 9 caps)

16-Yusuke Niwai (Sunwolves, un cap) 17-Shintaro Ishihara (Suntory Sungoliath, 4 caps) 18-Takuma Asahara (Sunwolves, 6 caps) 19-Hendrik Tui (Reds, 39 caps) 20-Shuhei Matsuhashi (Sunwolves, 6 caps) 21-Yutaka Nagare (Sunwolves, 4 caps) 22-Derek Carpenter (Sunwolves, un cap) 23-Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights, 7 caps

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Ireland (v Japan)

15. Simon Zebo
14. Andrew Conway
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Rory Scannell
11. Keith Earls
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Luke McGrath

1. Cian Healy
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Quinn Roux
5. Devin Toner
6. Rhys Ruddock (captain)
7. Dan Leavy
8. Jack Conan

Replacements:

16. James Tracy
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Kieran Treadwell
20. Jack O'Donoghue
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Rory O'Loughlin
23. Tiernan O'Halloran

 

[munstermuffin]

Such a great looking team. Really excited for this game

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Apparently Noguchi is considered to be some kind of wonderkid at fullback which explains Matsushima on the wing covering for the injured Yamada and Lemeki. Captain Tatekawa also injured but Japan have selected their strongest possible side it seems.

I'd have had Marmion and TOH as starters all day long but...

Ireland by 16

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Dear Ireland.

Take this one for the team please and lose.

Going to watch this game though should hopefully be a very attacking game to watch.

 

[munstermuffin]

Schmidt has been very smart. Kept units like Munster back 3 who had great season as a unit, Leinster backrows (these guys finished season great as a unit), Tone and Roux are used to each other from Leinster days, Frontrow (Healy isn't Munster but these 3 were used to combining during 6Nations) and the centre partnership has serious potential if they click.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Would have preferred TOH, hopefully McGrath takes his opportunity, he's ridiculously inconsistent but has a higher ceiling than Marmion imo. Can't wait to see ROL in green. Although I won't watch this game...

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Ugh. Very sobering for Japan. As others were pointing out last week, their scrum is poor (somehow worse than November when they were picking journeymen forwards). Their obsession with grubber kicks early on cost them the chance of points and their defence is very porous (possibly partly a result of not having Matsushima at fullback). Jamie Joseph will have a lot to consider.

Ireland doing grand and showing their isn't much drop off when you hit their second XV.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Keith Earls and Jack Conan outstanding so far again.

 

[Hinato]

+: Noguchi (meilleur japonais du match), Fukuoka, Tokunaga

A noter les bonnes rentrées de Matsuhashi, Nagare et Matsuda.

-: mêlée, défense, trop de jeu au pied, cadres en dessous de tout

Les cadres de l'équipe (Leitch, Tui, Mafi, Horie, Tamura, Matsushima) vont devoir se remettre en question et vite!!!

A deux ans de la coupe du monde, cette lourde défaite confirme que Jamie Joseph a encore un gros chantier devant lui.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

+: Noguchi (best Japanese of the match), Fukuoka, Tokunaga

Note the good returns of Matsuhashi, Nagare and Matsuda.

-: melee, defense, too much foot play, frames underneath everything

The executives of the team (Leitch, Tui, Mafi, Horie, Tamura, Matsushima) will have to question and quickly!

At two years of the World Cup, this heavy defeat confirms that Jamie Joseph still has a big job ahead of him..

I agree with all that. Noguchi did come onto a game and you can see what Joseph sees in him. The Japanese fringe defence around the ruck was simply awful for large periods of play. The amount of times Ireland did a simple pick and go, or one pass from the base of the ruck and broke the gain line was frightening, but surely that is something they can quickly improve greatly on. Attacking play was positive and you can see what the side is capable of, but it counts for nothing if you can't do simple defending.

Of note, Scotland's win over Australia puts Ireland up to third in the world (Scotland up to fifth).

 

[munstermuffin]

Earlx in form of his life last 6 months

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Very good Ireland performance. The pack completely bossed Japan. Both the starting and replacement front rows were outstanding. Dan Leavy stepped up massively again. Already mentioned how good Keith Earls and Jack Conan were.

Being picky, Simon Zebo was poor and hauled off at half time. Luke McGrath's box kicking was frequently too long and Tiernan O'Halloran needs to be more assertive under high balls.

 

[munstermuffin]

Very good Ireland performance. The pack completely bossed Japan. Both the starting and replacement front rows were outstanding. Dan Leavy stepped up massively again. Already mentioned how good Keith Earls and Jack Conan were.

Being picky, Simon Zebo was poor and hauled off at half time. Luke McGrath's box kicking was frequently too long and Tiernan O'Halloran needs to be more assertive under high balls.

All fair cmments and must add this was a for picked tem and it's delivering this summer

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Nice for Japan to let Ireland win.

No doubt Japan would win by 10 if they tried....

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Just got around to this, the depth in the Irish back row is ridiculous. The fact that Conan, Murphy and JVDF wouldn't make a full strength 23 baffles me.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Just got around to this, the depth in the Irish back row is ridiculous. The fact that Conan, Murphy and JVDF wouldn't make a full strength 23 baffles me.

I reckon Leavy will be displacing one of the Lions or Heaslip very soon, he's one of the most complete backrows I've ever seen.