The two sides will meet for the second time this year in the same venue but with considerably more fans this time around, although not a sellout.

The pair met in July and Ireland won that nine-try meeting by eight points in what was the first of two Summer internationals.

Andy Farrell’s side head into their three Autumn internationals on a five-game win streak after turning around a slow start to this year’s Six Nations.

Japan will take a second test in the year against the boys in green as an opportunity to get revenge, earn their first win against Ireland outside of a Rugby World Cup and spoil Jonathan Sexton’s party.

Sexton captains Ireland and will earn his 100th cap, making him the latest Irish centurion and the first since Cian Healy, who will make his 110th appearance from the bench.

Regardless of who wins, Japan are expected to be the more exciting side with their innovative 1-3-2-2 attack still in use.

The likes of Ryoto Nakamura, Yu Tamura and Kotaro Matsushima will be huge threats to Ireland’s defence in Jamie Joseph’s system.

Ireland will hope that Hugo Keenan, in his 14th consecutive appearance for the side, as well as the midfield pairing of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose, in their first test together since October 2020, will offer the same in return.

But Ireland’s main weapon will be their powerful forwards – it’s no surprise that seven of those eight forwards are from Leinster considering how dominant Leo Cullen’s men can be in several aspects of the game.

The only exception to that is no surprise either – Tadhg Beirne has been a monster for Munster and Ireland and, undoubtedly, Ireland’s best player so far this year – look out for the tall man with the blue scrum cap.

Teams

Ireland

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 13 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 25 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 34 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 31 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 6 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 99 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 10 caps

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 13 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 49 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 22 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 9 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 20 caps

Replacements
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)*
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 109 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 16 caps
19. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 63 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 76 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 89 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 24 caps
23. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 93 caps

*denotes uncapped player

Japan

1. Keita Inagaki (Panasonic Wild Knights)
2. Atsushi Sakate (Panasonic Wild Knights)
3. Ji-won Gu (Honda Heat)
4. Jack Cornelsen (Panasonic Wild Knights)
5. James Moore (Munakata Sanix Blues)
6. Ben Gunter (Panasonic Wild Knights)
7. Lappies Labuschagné (C) (Kubota Spears)
8. Kazuki Himeno (Highlanders)
9. Yutoka Nagare (Suntory Sungoliath)
10. Yu Tamura (Yokohama Canon Eagles)
11. Siosaia Fifita (Hanazono Kinetsu Liners)
12. Ryoto Nakamura (Suntory Sungoliath)
13. Timothy Lafaele (Kobelco Steelers)
14. Dylan Riley (Panasonic Wild Knights)
15. Kotaro Matsushima (Clermont Auvergne)

Replacements

16. Yusuke Niwai (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

17. Craig Millar (Panasonic Wild Knights)

18. Asaeli Ai Valu (Panasonic Wild Knights)

19. Yoshitaka Tokunaga (Toshiba Brave Lupus)

20. Tevita Tatafu (Suntory Sungoliath)

21. Naoto Saito (Suntory Sungoliath)

22. Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights)

23. Ryohei Yamanaka (Kobelco Steelers)

Odds

Ireland 1/12

Draw 33/1

Japan 7/1

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch live on RTÉ 2 with coverage starting an hour before kick-off at 12 pm.

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Flanker Lappies Labuschagné will lead his side out on Saturday as he wears the captain’s armband in the absence of Michael Leitch.

24-year-old Ben Gunter is set to make his debut for the national side at blindside flanker, with number 8 Kazuki Himeno in between the pair.

Keita Inagaki and Ji-Won Gu start at prop with hooker Atsushi Sakate completing the front row for the Brave Blossoms.

The second row is occupied by Jack Cornelsen and James Moore.

Yutaka Nagare and Yu Tamura make for an exciting half-back partnership, with Ryoto Nakumara and Timothy Lafaele only adding to that in the midfield.

The back three consists of Siosaia Fifita, Kotaro Matsushima and Dylan Riley, who lines up for his second cap for Jamie Joseph’s team.

Replacements for Japan includes the likes of Asaeli Ai Valu and Naoto Saito.

Eight members of the squad line out for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan’s Top League, while 11 sides are represented in the matchday 23.

10 of those 11 sides will have players starting the game, including Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne, who employ Matsushima.

Japan team v Ireland 

1. Keita Inagaki (Panasonic Wild Knights)
2. Atsushi Sakate (Panasonic Wild Knights)
3. Ji-won Gu (Honda Heat)
4. Jack Cornelsen (Panasonic Wild Knights)
5. James Moore (Munakata Sanix Blues)
6. Ben Gunter (Panasonic Wild Knights)
7. Lappies Labuschagné (C) (Kubota Spears)
8. Kazuki Himeno (Highlanders)
9. Yutoka Nagare (Suntory Sungoliath)
10. Yu Tamura (Yokohama Canon Eagles)
11. Siosaia Fifita (Hanazono Kinetsu Liners)
12. Ryoto Nakamura (Suntory Sungoliath)
13. Timothy Lafaele (Kobelco Steelers)
14. Dylan Riley (Panasonic Wild Knights)
15. Kotaro Matsushima (Clermont Auvergne)

Replacements

16. Yusuke Niwai (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

17. Craig Millar (Panasonic Wild Knights)

18. Asaeli Ai Valu (Panasonic Wild Knights)

19. Yoshitaka Tokunaga (Toshiba Brave Lupus)

20. Tevita Tatafu (Suntory Sungoliath)

21. Naoto Saito (Suntory Sungoliath)

22. Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights)

23. Ryohei Yamanaka (Kobelco Steelers)

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Larmour went off after half an hour on Saturday afternoon after picking up a groin injury and was replaced by Munster’s Shane Daly.

Chris Farrell was taken off early into the second half after taking a knock to the head and failed his head injury assessment.

The Munster centre was replaced by Ulster’s Billy Burns for the remainder of the game.

Both players will not feature this weekend as a result of the injuries they picked up at the weekend.

Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony will also be unavailable for the match against the USA Eagles after he was released from the camp to begin his off-season.

The Munster star played 71 minutes in the win over Japan and was replaced by debutant and Munster Player of the Year Gavin Coombes.

It is likely that we see a less experienced side play against the USA than we did against Japan.

The news that these three international regulars will not be available guarantees that there will be a higher chance of this.

To view the full Irish squad for the Vodafone Summer Series, click here.

The post Ireland Stars Larmour and Farrell Ruled Out Of USA Game appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The game will be shown live on Sky Sports and kick-off will be at 5 pm British Standard Time.

Warren Gatland and his selectors have made 14 changes to their Lions starting lineup with Josh Adams being the only survivor from the game against Japan.

Eight players are set to make their debuts for the side at Ellis Park – Luke Cowan-Dickie, Gareth Davies, Zander Fagerson, Chris Harris, Jonny Hill, Louis Rees-Zammit, Sam Simmonds and Hamish Watson.

Stuart Hogg will captain the team after joining up with the side following Exeter Chiefs’ loss to Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership final.

Scotland fans will also get to see the duo of Ali Price and Finn Russell play alongside each other in the famous red shirt.

Ireland fans will have to wait until Gatland taps into the wealth of talent on the bench to see an Irish player.

The side they will face – their namesake Sigma Lions – will want to put on a show to welcome the British and Irish Lions to South Africa after 12 years away.

The Lions, who were called the Emirates Lions at the start of the week, were the opponents in the British and Irish Lions’ second game on the 2009 tour.

Their 2021 team will be hoping to do much better than the 74-10 drubbing that side received.

Willem Alberts, who played in that fixture, is unavailable for the side due to injury.

Their Pro14 Rainbow Cup South Africa campaign ended without a win after their last game was cancelled because of a COVID scare.

A poor Super Rugby Unlocked campaign in 2020 was a sign of things to come as they finished below Pro14 castaways Cheetahs.

Their side will be without anyone called up to the South Africa squad, including star player Elton Jantjies.

Warren Gatland’s side is heavily favoured in this matchup.

Betting

British and Irish Lions 1/25

Draw 70/1

Sigma Lions 13/1

Predicted Lineups

British and Irish Lions:

Stuart Hogg (captain); Louis Rees-Zammit, Chris Harris, Owen Farrell, Josh Adams; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Wyn Jones, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Courtney Lawes, Hamish Watson, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Zander Fagerson, Iain Henderson, Sam Simmonds, Gareth Davies, Bundee Aki, Elliot Daly.

Sigma Lions: EW Viljoen; Jamba Ulengo, Manuel Rass, Burger Odendaal, Rabz Maxwane; Jordan Hendrikse, Dillon Smit; Nathan McBeth, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer, Ruben Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel, Sbusiso Sangweni, Vincent Tshituka, Francke Horn (captain).

Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Sti Sithole, Carlu Sadie, Ruhan Straeuli, Emmanuel Tshituka, Morne van den Berg, Fred Zeilinga, Dan Kriel.

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The side will play their first test against another country since the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against South Africa.

Few changes have been made to the Japan team that played the British and Irish Lions for the first time ever.

Seven of the pack that faced off against the Lions start in Dublin.

Inagaki, Sakate and Koo line up in the front row with Wimpie Wan Der Walt and James Moore behind them in lock forward.

Captain Michael Leitch and Pieter Labuschagne are once again starting at flanker.

Last week’s try-scorer Kazuki Himeno comes into the starting XV at number eight, replacing Amanaki Mafi.

Naoto Saito comes into the side at scrum-half with the ever-reliable Yu Tamura beside him in the fly-half position.

Ryoto Nakamura and Timothy Lafaele will be the centre partnership for the second week in a row.

30-year-old Semisi Masirewa will start at 14 alongside Siosaia Fifita and Kotaro Matsushima.

Kaito Shigeno and Asaeli Ai Valu are among the players on the bench.

Japan Team v Ireland

15. Kotaro Matsushima (Clermont Auvergne)

14. Semisi Masirewa (Kinetsu Liners)

13. Timothy Lafaele (Kobelco Steelers)

12. Ryoto Nakamura (Suntory Sungoliath)

11. Siosaia Fifita (Kintetsu Liners)

10. Yu Tamura (Canon Eagles)

9. Naoto Saito (Suntory Sungoliath)

Forwards

1. Keita Inagaki (Panasonic Wild Knights)

2. Atsushi Sakate (Panasonic Wild Knights)

3. Ji-won Koo (Honda Heat)

4. Wimpie van der Walt (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes)

5. James Moore (Munakata Sanix Blues)

6. Michael Leitch C (Toshiba Brave Lupus)

7. Pieter Labuschagne (Kubota Spears)

8. Kazuki Himeno (Highlanders)

Replacements

16. Kosuke Horikoshi (Suntory Sungoliath)

17. Craig Millar (Panasonic Wild Knights)

18. Asaeli Ai Valu (Panasonic Wild Knights)

19. Jack Cornelsen (Panasonic Wild Knights)

20. Tevita Tatafu (Suntory Sungoliath)

21. Kaito Shigeno (Toyota Verblitz)

22. Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights)

23. Shane Gates (NTT Communications Shining Arcs)

The post Japan Side Announced For Match in Dublin appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The 23-man matchday squad was carved out of the 36-man squad available for selection.

The starting lineup is filled with players familiar with the Irish setup and the bench features some international prospects.

Dave Kilcoyne and Finlay Bealham will line up on either side of Ronan Kelleher, who had recently with Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions.

James Ryan returns to the starting lineup as captain and is paired with Ultan Dillane at lock forward.

Peter O’Mahony, Josh Van Der Flier and Caelan Doris round off the starting forwards in the back row.

Jamison Gibson-Park will wear the number nine shirt while Joey Carbery makes his first appearance in green since the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Stuart McCloskey and Chris Farrell provide a veteran presence at inside and outside centre.

Jacob Stockdale, Jordan Larmour and Hugo Keenan fill out the back three.

Rob Herring and Billy Burns are joined by the uncapped Gavin Coombes and others on the bench.

The game will be available to watch on RTÉ 2 with coverage starting at 12:30 pm.

Ireland Team v Japan

Backs

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
14. Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 29 caps
13. Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 34 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 22 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 9 caps

Forwards

1. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 43 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 14 caps
4. Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 18 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps Captain
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 75 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 31 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/UCD) 7 caps

Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 21 caps
17. Ed Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 4 caps
18. John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 23 caps
19. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 3 caps
20. Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
21. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 1 cap
22. Billy Burns (Ulster) 6 caps
23. Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution) 1 cap

The post Ireland Team Announced For Japan Test appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Click here for the Lions side, which now includes Justin Tipuric and Tadhg Furlong in the starting XV.

Head Coach Jamie Joseph has named a strong side for his side’s first test since their Rugby World Cup 2019 quarter-final loss to South Africa.

Michael Leitch captains the side as he did for their defeat to South Africa and will start at blindside flanker.

His opposite for their most recent test, Pieter Labuschagne, will don the number 7 shirt for the side.

10 players in total who started the Brave Blossoms’ last game will start at Murrayfield.

Keita Inagaki and Koo Ji-Won start on either side of hooker Atsushi Sakate, who replaces the multi-faceted Shota Horie.

Wimpie Wan Der Walt and James Moore are in the second row with Amanaki Mafi in the number eight position.

30-year-old Kaito Shigeno and Yu Tamura fill the scrum-half and fly-half positions.

Centres Ryoto Nakamura and Timothy Lafaele occupy the midfield while 22-year-old Siosaia Fifita gets the nod at 11 alongside Kataro Matsushima and fullback Ryohei Yamanaka.

Super Rugby Aotearoa Rookie of the Year Kazuki Himeno is on the bench with Asaeli Ai Valu and others.

Japan Team To Face British and Irish Lions:

Backs

15. Ryohei Yamanaka (Kobelco Steelers)

14. Kotaro Matsushima (Clermont Auvergne)

13. Timothy Lafaele (Kobelco Steelers)

12. Ryoto Nakamura (Suntory Sungoliath)

11. Siosaia Fifita (Kintetsu Liners)

10. Yu Tamura (Canon Eagles)

9. Kaito Shigeno (Toyota Verblitz)

Forwards

1. Keita Inagaki (Panasonic Wild Knights)

2. Atsushi Sakate (Panasonic Wild Knights)

3. Ji-won Koo (Honda Heat)

4. Wimpie van der Walt (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes)

5. James Moore (Munakata Sanix Blues)

6. Michael Leitch C (Toshiba Brave Lupus)

7. Pieter Labuschagne (Kubota Spears)

8. Amanaki Mafi (Canon Eagles)

Replacements

16. Kosuke Horikoshi (Suntory Sungoliath)

17. Craig Millar (Panasonic Wild Knights)

18. Asaeli Ai Valu (Panasonic Wild Knights)

19. Jack Cornelsen (Panasonic Wild Knights)

20. Kazuki Himeno (Highlanders)

21. Tevita Tatafu (Suntory Sungoliath)

22. Naoto Saito (Suntory Sungoliath)

23. Rikiya Matsuda (Panasonic Wild Knights)

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