Ireland player ratings as they battle to beat Japan

Backs:

Jamie Osborne — 6: Had a quiet first half aside from a strong carry and offload in the lead-up to Ireland’s opening try by Nick Timoney. Busier in the second, his deft chip into the backfield applying pressure to Japan and all but killing the game with minutes remaining. Exited well but a lowkey performance overall.

Jimmy O’Brien — 7: Won a couple of big aerial contests and was significantly involved as a link-man off Ireland’s right wing.

Robbie Henshaw — 7: Reprised his role as an auxiliary back row and resembled the Robbie Henshaw of old in parts, winning two turnovers — the first of which came from a second effort at the ruck after his own excellent tackle. Finished his try well.

Stuart McCloskey — 7: Cost his side three points when he played scrum-half Naoto Saito illegally on 16 minutes, but soon afterwards became instrumental to Ireland’s clinical, multi-phase attacks with routine powerful carries.

Jacob Stockdale — 6: Starved of attacking opportunities compared to O’Brien on the opposite wing but made a couple of valuable kick chases. Covered the backfield and defended solidly.

Ciarán Frawley — 6: Composed himself after a nervy beginning to his first Test start at 10, and broadly became a facilitator more so than a game-changer. Had one poor missed conversion. A serviceable performance won’t have changed Ireland’s out-half picture in any way.

Craig Casey — 6: A poor kick out on the full led to three Japanese points for 10-7, albeit he box-kicked well thereafter. Excellent try-saving tackle, with some help from James Ryan, on Japanese replacement Sam Greene in the second half. Blew one try-scoring opportunity with a poor pass to Henshaw as the clock turned red at the end of the first half, but equally put several Ireland attackers through holes in a display that was better than his critics will likely have you believe.

Forwards:

Tom O’Toole — 6: Lost two scrum penalties to Shuhei Takeuchi, but added a try and won a jackal penalty soon afterwards during a fine effort in the loose.

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Rónan Kelleher — 5: Difficult to judge on only a couple of viewings as to whether Taira Main’s opening score of the game was the result of a Kelleher underthrow or a mistimed jump by his James Ryan and his lifters, but a couple of crooked throws thereafter marred Kelleher’s 50th cap. An uncomfortable night at set-piece all round. Made a strong carry down the left to tee up Sean Jansen’s debut try.

Thomas Clarkson — 6: Exchanged scrum penalties with Takato Okabe and showed nice hands in the lead-up to O’Toole’s try.

Tadhg Beirne (captain) — 6: Uncharacteristically quiet save for his contribution to a big maul turnover on 46 minutes. Defended diligently but unusually a virtual non-factor in Ireland’s attacking lineout as Japan put them under pressure in the air.

James Ryan — 5: Struggled in the lineout throughout, also conceding a penalty at that particular set piece on 24 minutes. Ineffective in the carry. An honest effort, as always, just not a particularly good one on this occasion.

Jack Conan — 7: Battled through conspicuous shoulder pain to contribute handsomely to an excellent performance by Ireland’s back-row unit. Joint top of the carry chart alongside Sean Jansen with 12. Made a big poach just shy of the half-hour mark and left his mark on both sides of the ball.

Nick Timoney — 8: Becoming a key player for Andy Farrell, and made the most of this rare start as he bagged his eighth Test try on just his 13th cap. Carried with impetus, including during a long line-break at the end of the first half before linking with Jansen. Defended like a maniac, too, as he tends to.

Sean Jansen — 8: What a debut. A deserving man of the match, Connacht man Jansen marked his first cap with a well-taken try and was explosive in both attack and defence throughout. A live option for a place in Farrell’s 23 to face New Zealand at Eden Park.

Replacements:

Bench — 6: Few of Ireland’s substitutes had the chance to truly impact the game as it dissolved to a bitty affair from the third quarter onwards while both sides spun their respective revolving doors.

There were debuts for Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Bryn Ward, each of whom got stuck in, with the two Connacht front rows perhaps marginally improving Ireland’s scrum — albeit Japan’s pack had undergone almost wholesale changes by that point, too.

Tom Stewart was a 7, shoring up Ireland’s lineout and picking a nice hole to finish his last-gasp try.

Bundee Aki deserves a 7 too, his impact considerable as he carried with intent and exhibited deft hands on occasion, essentially picking up where McCloskey had left off.