Eight years is a long time to wait.
But Ireland’s return to the World Cup stage is just a matter of hours away and Scott Bemand insists his team are ready to stamp their authority in their opening Pool C game.
Japan, who Ireland have beaten six times and lost once, provide the opposition on Sunday afternoon (12pm, live on RTÉ) at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton.
“We understand the magnitude of this event,” head coach Bemand told RTÉ Sport.
“You get a decision to make how you approach it.
“Is there going to be nerves?
“Maybe, it’s a World Cup, it’s exciting but we’ll definitely focus on the opportunities that come with this.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position and it’s a position we want to be in.”
Ireland harbour ambitions of making a semi-final but there’s a sense in camp of taking it step by step.
Their opening gambit comes against a team that have actually won the last meeting of the sides, a 29-10 victory back in 2022, but since the wooden spoon campaign of 2023, Ireland have significantly improved and have moved up to fifth in the world rankings.
Bemand’s side can take confidence from their comeback win against Scotland in the warm-up at the start of August, when they were 14-0 early on but rallied to trail by just two before half-time, and the passages of play they put together against world number two Canada in Belfast, where they scored four well-taken tries.
There are issues around defence to be addressed but this game is more about Ireland playing to their potential than over-thinking Japanese threats.
Chief among those is back row Iroha Nagata, who has 40 caps to her name and played at the 2017 World Cup.
The Sakura XV, ranked 11th in the world, give away height and weight advantage, but are a well-drilled and disciplined outfit, and have beaten Spain twice in warm-ups, while they also recorded a victory over USA in America this year.
They possess a tidy lineout maul and like to move the ball quickly to try and keep the bigger Ireland players moving for longer.
Bemand, who has made four changes to the side from their last game, is aware that Japan, under former Canada international Lesley McKenzie, have targetted this match-up.
“They would have put an enormous amount of focus on the outcome of this game,” said Bemand, whose former Red Roses boss Simon Middleton is a consultant with Japan and was at Musgrave Park when Ireland beat Scotland.
The Ireland team can’t wait for their tournament to start
“It’s particularly big for the Japanese.
“Do we want to stamp authority on the game?
“Yes, absolutely. Any game you play you want to get a foothold in the game early.
“We believe we’ve identified some tactical ways we can do that and we’ll go after that.”
McKenzie, who has been with Japan since 2018, will look to negate the physical deficit by inspiring an impassioned but clinical performance out of her charges.
A re-watch of Ireland’s 2019 loss to Japan at the men’s World Cup might whet their appetite as they bid to win just a second match at the tournament from 12 previous games.
They have won five of six matches so far this year, with the loss coming at the hands of Italy in Calvisano two weeks ago.
“We’ve been very upfront about what the sequencing of our pool competition looks like,” said McKenzie.
“So, since March, when we assembled for this campaign, we’ve known this is a key game for us – it sets a tone, it sets a standard, and we set our stall out how we want to play, perform and be seen at this tournament.
“This is the game that it’s been about because it’s a statement of who we are and what we’re here for.”
Sam Monaghan and Edel McMahon return to the side as co-captains, and offset to some extent the absence of Erin King, Dorothy Wall and Aoife Wafer, while Fiona Tuite’s switch to the flank adds another ball-carrier and lineout operator to the starting team.
Ruth Campbell gives some “raw edge” to the pack, while Eve Higgins and Amee-Leigh Costigan are the two changes among the backs.
Béibhinn Parsons, who scored two tries, against Canada, looks back to her best after a horrible run of injuries.
IRELAND v JAPAN: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
This stage could be built for the 23-year-old flyer from Ballinasloe.
Staying patient and trusting their ability is the key for Ireland on Sunday afternoon on the immaculate surface at Franklin’s Gardens.
To stress how well the pitch is kept, a member of the Japanese coaching staff remarked ahead of their captain’s run that the last time he was there they had a real grass pitch.
Ireland may well have to deal with purple patches from Japan but absorbing that pressure, with Monaghan and McMahon there to ensure everyone keeps their cool, and striking when they get their opportunities will see them over the line.
Verdict: Ireland by 15
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien; Aoibheann Reilly, Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (co-captain); Fiona Tuite, Edel McMahon (co-captain), Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Ellena Perry, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corri-Fallon, Grace Moore, Emily Lane, Enya Breen, Anna McGann.
Japan: Sora Nishimura; Misaki Matsumara, Mana Furuta, Haruka Hirotsu, Komachi Imakugi; Ayasa Otsuka, Moe Tsukui; Sachiko Kato, Asuka Kuge, Wako Kitano; Yuna Sato, Otoka Yoshimura; Masami Kawamura, Iroha Nagata (capt), Seina Saito
Replacements: Kotomi Taniguchi, Manami Mine, Nijiho Nagata, Ayana Sakurai, Kyoko Hosokawa, Megumi Abe, Minori Yamamoto, Sakurako Hatada
Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
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