Ireland survive Japan rallies to claim Global XV win in Galway

Beibhinn Parsons becomes Ireland’s leading women’s try scorer with her 24th in Test rugby

RECORD SETTER: Béibhinn Parsons on the way to becoming Ireland's record try scorer during the WXV Global Series match against Japan at Dexcom Stadium. Pic: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile

IRELAND 31 JAPAN 24 

Ireland returned to winning ways following their shock defeat to the United States, but they needed to dig deep to see off a resilient Japanese side in this Women’s Global XV Series content at Dexcom Stadium on Sunday.

Two tries apiece from flanker Brittany Hogan and wing Beibhinn Parsons, the latter becoming Ireland’s leading women’s try scorer in the process with her 24th in Test rugby, were augmented by another five points from replacement centre Aoife Dalton and two conversions from fly-half Dannah O’Brien. 

Yet having surrendered a 19-point lead to the Americans in Tallaght Stadium in a 40-36 defeat seven days earlier, Scott Bemand’s side were in danger of blowing another dominant position in Galway.

Hogan’s double and Parsons’ first try were all converted to put Ireland 19-0 up, but a yellow card for captain Erin King just before the half-time break opened the door for a Japanese fightback. Moen Nagaoka finished a maul try immediately after the sin-binning to make it 19-5 at half-time and the Japanese hooker added a second four minutes after the restart with King still off the field, full-back Maiko Nishi’s conversion making it 19-12.

Dalton had replaced fellow centre Eve Higgins on 44 minutes and she was on the scoreboard 11 minutes later when she charged down a clearing kick from Uta Kataoka, picking the ball off the deck to race over for a try that should have given Ireland ample breathing space at 24-12.

Japanese and Irish players together after the WXV Global Series match between Ireland and Japan at Dexcom Stadium in Galway. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Japan had other ideas, and struck once more through their maul, this time finished by replacement hooker Nijiho Nagata on 67 minutes with Nishi converting once more.

Cue Parsons’s moment of history as she passed previous record holder Alison Miller with her 24th Test try and second of the afternoon to delight her home Connacht crowd, the Ballinasloe wing receiving a smart offload from provincial team-mate and centre Anna McGann to sprint home from 35 metres. 

O’Brien’s conversion made it 31-19 with five minutes remaining, but there was still time for a further scare when flanker Nami Asari scored, only for the clock to end Japan’s late rally.

The two teams are set to meet for a second time at Cork’s Virgin Media Park next Saturday afternoon outside the WVX Global Series window.

IRELAND: S Flood (N Gallagher, 76); B Parsons, A McGann, E Higgins (A Dalton, 44), V Elmes Kinlan; D O’Brien, A Reilly (E Lane, 68); N O’Dowd (S McGrath, 62), N Jones (B Buttimer, 62), E Cahill (L Djougang, 44); D Wall, F Tuite-O'Sullivan (J Clohessy, 68); B Hogan, E King – captain, J Adams Verling (G Moore, 68).

JAPAN: M Nishi; S Nishimura, U Kataoka, M Furuta (M Yamamoto, 64), K Imakugi; S Harada, M Tsukui – captain (M Nishimura, 78); H Komaki (N Yoshida, 56), M Nagaoka (N Nagata, 58), W Kitano (J Fuji, 56); M Kawamura, Y Sato (O Yoshimura, 71); N Asari, S Korai (M Yua Havili Kagawa, 62), J Nduka (A Seo,62).

Referee: Ella Goldsmith (Australia)