Japan have done it again, this time against the team ranked No 1 in the world just two weeks ago. The hosts came from nine points down to win after playing with a pace and fervour that the humidity and countdown clock could not dim and such was the noise when the final whistle sounded it would have caused the nearby Mount Fuji to wobble.
If Japan left it late against South Africa four years ago, here they took a grip on the game from the moment Michael Leitch, their captain who had been surprisingly named on the bench, came on to the field after 30 minutes. The hosts had troubled Ireland with their ability to offload in contact and spread the ball wide, but they were also excitable.
Written by Paul Rees at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/28/japan-ireland-rugby-world-cup-match-report under the title “Japan stun Ireland to pull off another famous Rugby World Cup upset”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
