Ireland v Japan: Kick-off time, TV details and team news

Ireland and Japan will go head-to-head this Saturday with both sides hoping to bounce back after their defeats last weekend.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Ireland take on Japan in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ireland return to Dublin for their second clash of the Autumn Nations Series when they welcome Japan to the Aviva Stadium. Ireland will be looking to get back on track after their defeat to New Zealand last Saturday in Chicago.

It was a tight clash between Ireland and the All Black until the last quarter when Scott Robertsons' side took the lead for the first time and ran out 13 point winners.

This is the first time Japan have been to Dublin since 2021. Ireland have played the Brave Blossoms 13 times claiming 12 wins and losing one. 

Japan arrived in Dublin in June 2021 after covid restrictions were eased with 3000 fans in the stadium. The lead in that game changed hands seven times in a clash with nine tries with Ireland winning 39-31.

The Brave Blossoms returned again that November as Johnny Sexton won his 100th cap and Ireland running out 60-5 winners. 

Japan come into this fixture off the back of a heavy defeat to South Africa 61-7 last Satruday at Wembley Stadium.

Ireland will be looking to get up and running with a win on home soil while Japan will be looking to upset the party for Andy Farrells' side.

Here is all you need to know ahead of the clash.

Where is the game being played?

This is the first of three games Ireland will play in the Aviva Stadium for the Autumn Nations Series. 

What time is kick-off?

The game kicks-off at 12.40pm on Saturday November 8.

Where to watch?

RTÉ 2 and TNT Sports 3 will be showing the game live while, as ever, The Irish Examiner will have a liveblog providing updates on the best of the action as it happens.

Who is the referee?

Gianluca Gnecchi will be the man in the middle for the clash with an all Italian team. Andrea Piardi and Federico Vedovelli will run the line with Matteo Liperini in the TMO hotseat.

Team news

Caelan Doris will start his first Test match in eight months when he captains Ireland against Japan at Aviva Stadium this Saturday, leading a side featuring debutant centre Tom Farrell.

Head coach Andy Farrell described his namesake’s rise to Test rugby at the age of 32 as a “Roy of the Rovers story” after selecting Munster’s player of the Year for last season at outside centre alongside midfield partner Robbie Henshaw.

Initially omitted from the Ireland squad for November’s four Tests, Tom Farrell was called in as injury cover when Bundee Aki picked up a minor issue on Connacht duty.

Now he finds himself in a green jersey in front of a near sell-out Dublin crowd.

“Tom becomes our latest debutant and his is a real Roy of the Rovers story when you look at his journey in the game to this point,” Andy Farrell said on Thursday.

“Tom has worked really hard to earn the right to represent his country and I know how proud he is to be involved this weekend after knocking on the selection door for the last few seasons.

“In congratulating him on his selection, I would like to wish Tom the best of luck.” The head coach has made eight changes from the line-up which started last Saturday in the 26-13 defeat to New Zealand in Chicago.

Doris made a successful comeback from a more than five-month injury lay-off as a replacement in that game having undergone shoulder surgery following last May’s Champions Cup semi-final.

The Leinster skipper got through 37 minutes off the bench at Soldier Field and will now start as Ireland No.8 for the first time since last March’s Six Nations final round trip to Italy as Andy Farrell’s side bids to rebound from their All Blacks defeat in this opening Quilter Nations Series match.

Aside from Henshaw and Tom Farrell’s inclusion, Ireland have recalled Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale on the left wing for James Lowe while Craig Casey is promoted to start at scrum-half as Jamison Gibson-Park is rested with Ireland’s summer tour captain forming an all-Munster half-back partnership with retained fly-half Jack Crowley.

In the forward pack there is a change at tighthead prop with Thomas Clarkson in for Tadhg Furlong, while Doris replaces Jack Conan at No.8 and Nick Timoney is handed the openside flanker role as Josh van der Flier sits out.

Also getting opportunities from the bench are hooker Gus McCarthy, back-rower Cian Prendergast, scrum-half Caolin Blade while there is the chance of a home debut for loosehead prop Paddy McCarthy following his first cap against the All Blacks seven days earlier.

Farrell said: “I have been pleased with the application and diligence of the squad this week. Since returning from Chicago on Monday morning the squad have assessed the areas we need to collectively improve upon.

"It will be a battle against a Japan side who play the game in a positive manner and will look to ask questions of us. From our side we will look to be sharp and implement our game-plan and we’re preparing for a big test."

IRELAND: J Osborne (Leinster); T O’Brien (Leinster), T Farrell (Munster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster); J Crowley (Munster), C Casey (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), T Clarkson (Leinster); J Ryan (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster); R Baird (Leinster), N Timoney (Ulster), C Doris (Leinster) (c).

Replacements: G McCarthy (Leinster), P McCarthy (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Conan (Leinster), C Blade (Connacht), S Prendergast (Leinster), J O’Brien (Leinster).

JAPAN: Y Yazaki, K Ishida, D Riley, C Lawrence, T Osada, S Lee, N Saito; K Kobayashi, K Sato, S Takeuchi, E Uluiviti, W Dearns (c), B Gunter, K Shimokawa, F Makisi.

Replacements: S Hirao, R Iwaihara, K Tamefusa, J Cornelsen, M Leitch, S Fujiwara, S Komura, Y Hirose.

Stuart McCloskey has emerged as Ireland’s only injury doubt ahead of this Saturday’s home Quilter Nations Series clash with Japan following the journey home from defeat in Chicago.

The centre had been forced off with a groin injury on 56 minutes at Soldier Field following an impressive outing against New Zealand last Saturday and following touchdown in Dublin on Monday morning was rated a doubt for this Saturday’s home November opener.

There was a positive update on Ireland captain Caelan Doris who successfully came through his first match since a serious shoulder injury sustained in May. Doris came off the bench in Chicago, initially to cover James Ryan’s temporary absence for a Head Injury Assessment on 33 minutes, and then to replace Jack Conan at No.8 after 51 minutes.

Head coach Andy Farrell is set to name his team to face Eddie Jones’s Japanese on Thursday afternoon with the IRFU announcing ticket sales of more than 49,600 for the 12:40pm kick-off at Aviva Stadium, as of Monday. Simon Lewis

What can I read about and listen to on IrishExaminer.com?

You can follow the lead up to the game from our reporters on IrishExaminer.com. Listen to Brendan O'Brien who was joined by Joe Callaghan from Soldier Field in the moments after the sides' hard-fought test. 

Listen to Simon Lewis and Brendan O’Brien as they set the scene for a much-changed Ireland’s Test match against Japan on Saturday.