LIVEIreland v Japan, November Internationals, live minute-by-minute updates

The game is in to the second-half at the Aviva and it isn't all going the home team's way

Ireland's Jack Crowley celebrates scoring his side's first try of the match. Pic: INPHO/Gary Carr

Ireland 22 Japan 7

54 mins: Jacob Stockdale has a try ruled out for an offside earlier in the move. Unlucky on the part of the Ulster wing who did brilliantly to chase down his own kick block.

52 mins: Sam Prendergast has replaced Jack Crowley at No.10. The Leinster man has a good 30 minutes to press his claims here now. Jack Conan is on for Timoney and James Ryan has given way for Cian Prendergast.

52 mins: Jacob Stockdale is back in from the naughty step with Japan  threatening in the Irish 22.

49 mins: TRY Ireland. Andrew Porter goes over from close range to claim Ireland's third try but Jack Crowley skews a simple enough kick wide at his near post. It's now Ireland 22-10 Japan. 

40 mins: Second-half is underway and the referee confirms that Jacob Stockdale's yellow is staying yellow. Hardly a surprise but then after Tadhg Beirne's experience last week...

Here's Japan's try, which has now been awarded to the hooker Kenji Sato.

HALF-TIME: Andy Farrell's Ireland has struggled in these November games against less-than-stellar opponents like Fiji and Georgia. Same here. Lots of errors, little pattern and Japan scoring the last ten points of the half is a better reflection on it all so far.

"A lacklustre half in front of a subdued lunchtime crowd," says Irish Examiner rugby corr Simon Lewis.

41 mins: Japan had already been awarded a penalty for an offside against James Ryan and Seungsin Lee pops that over from close range to leave it Ireland 17-10 Japan at the break.

40 mins: The game is stopped as officials check for a possible high hit by Jacob Stockdale on Kippei Ishida. They've watched it a tonne of times now but it seems to be little enough.

It's a YELLOW CARD and a bunker review, though.

Ireland's Jacob Stockdale is sent to the sin bin during the Quilter Nations Series match at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

38 mins: Japan are on the board with a try from loosehead prop Kenta Kobayashi off a maul. The ref had deemed it held-up but was corrected by his sideline official. Out-half Seungsin Lee has added the extras after 38 minutes. That leaves it Ireland 17-7 Japan with half-time nearly here.

30 mins: TRY IRELAND! That's the second and, like the first, it came from nowhere, this time from Nick Timoney. Unlike the first, this was no Barbarians move with Ireland huffing and puffing and going nowhere before the Ulster back row burst through into the corner. 

Still Crowley's conversion makes it Ireland 17-0 Japan with ten to go to the break.

Here's that opening try from Ireland's No.10...

26 mins: The game has still to really get going despite that first try. Ireland have made a number of errors, not least at the lineout where their issues from touch are still hurting them.

20 mins: TRY IRELAND! That's a brilliant score from Jack 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. 

That makes it Ireland 10-0 Japan with Crowley's conversion.

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...