Ireland rack up 50 against Japan
It was the second Test of their three-match June tour.
Joe Schmidt's new-look side ran in seven tries in a clinical performance despite the lingering effects of jet-lag and blazing heat in Shizuoka, on Japan's Pacific coast.
With the bulk of Ireland's usual starting line-up in New Zealand on duty with the British and Irish Lions, a fresh crop of hungry young players tore into Japan from the start.
Keith Earls burst clear to score Ireland's first try after just 10 minutes and, with Heiichiro Ito sin-binned, Dan Leavy barged over twice before Jack Conan also crossed as the tourists stretched their lead to 31-3 at half-time.
The Irish, who thrashed the United States 55-19 in New Jersey last weekend, added further tries through Conan, Garry Ringrose and Earls again after the break.
Flyhalf Paddy Jackson slotted 13 points on six-for-six kicking.
Japan's "Brave Blossoms," who ground out a 33-21 home win over Romania last week, looked bereft of ideas in a dress rehearsal for the 2019 World Cup, when they will face Ireland in the pool stage as tournament hosts.
Despite encouraging signs in the second half, late consolation tries from Kenki Fukuoka and Yutaka Nagare failed to paper over the cracks for Japan, who get another shot at the Irish in Tokyo next week.
Scorers
For Japan:
Tries: Noguchi, Fukuoka, Nagare
Cons: Matsuda 2
Pen: Tamura
For Ireland:
Tries: Earls 2, Leavy 2, Conan 2, Ringrose
Cons: Jackson 5, Scannell
Pen: Jackson
Teams:
Japan: 15 Ryuji Noguchi, 14 Kotaro Matshima, 13 William Tupou, 12 Timothy Lafaele, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Uwe Helu, 4 Kotaro Yatabe, 3 Heiichiro Ito, 2 Shota Horie (captain), 1 Keita Inagaki.
Replacements: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Hendrik Tui, 20 Shuhei Matsuhashi, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Derek Carpenter, 23 Rikiya Matsuda.
Ireland: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Dan Leavy, 6 Rhys Ruddock (captain), 5 Devin Toner, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 John Ryan, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Cian Healy.
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.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England),
