Ireland 32 - Japan 16, Lansdowne Road, 1991.
Ireland had just hammered Zimbabwe in their opening match of the 1991 World Cup and were expected to encounter little difficulty in accounting for Japan, but it was the Japanese who enjoyed many of the plaudits for the manner in which they played the game.
Ireland took the lead through number eight Noel Mannion - he would score two tries that day - when he picked up from a scrum close in to the Japanese line and went over unchallenged. Outhalf Ralph Keyes, who had scored 23 points against Zimbabwe, converted and added two penalties to put the home side 13-0 in front.
The Japanese scored a superb try through second row Hayashi after good work by Tiafaga. Hosakawa converted to reduce Ireland's advantage to 13-6. Keyes would contribute 16 points in total and in tandem with halfback partner Rob Saunders would enjoy a sizeable influence on proceedings.
Japan scored three tries that day and their lively backline caused Ireland considerable discomfort, especially left wing Yoshida. Ireland's other tries came through full back Jim Staples and flanker Pat O'Hara.
Ireland lost to Scotland in their next match, but then produced a marvellous performance to come within a whisker of beating Australia at Lansdowne Road in the World Cup quarter-final. The Australians went on to beat England in the final.
IRELAND: J Staples; J Clake, B Mullin, D Curtis, K Crossan; R Keyes, R Saunders; J Fitzgerald, T Kingston (capt), G Halpin; M Galwey, N FRancis; P O'Hara, N Mannion, G Hamilton. Replacement: V Cunningham for Crossan (59 mins).
JAPAN: T Hosokawa; T Masuho, E Kutsuki, S Hirao (capt), Y Yoshida; K Matsuo, M Honkoshi; O Ota, T Fugita, M Takura; T Hayashi, A Oyagi; E Tifaga, S Latu, H Kajihara. Replacements: M Kunda for Fujita (51 mins); K Mryamato for Tifaga (75 mins).
Referee: L Colati (Fiji).
Ireland 50 - Japan 28, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 1995.
Former Ireland coach Mick Doyle, then a television pundit, famously threw his pen in indignation following Ireland's performance against Japan. He asserted that Japan had played all the rugby and that Ireland were fortunate to prevail. The match will also be remembered for the dislocated shoulder which Keith Wood suffered after just 11 minutes, the point of his shoulder colliding with the firm ground. The Irish victory could be attributed to their power advantage in the scrum, which yielded two penalty tries.
Ireland led by 19 points after 26 minutes, but as the then Irish Times rugby correspondent Edmund Van Esbeck observed: "the victory was not attained without considerable anxiety, neither was it achieved without the ready facility that so wide a margin would indicate."
By half-time Ireland's lead had been reduced to five points. David Corkery and Neil Francis scored early tries, both of which outhalf Paul Burke converted but he could not improve upon Simon Geoghegan's try after 26 minutes.
Japan turned the match on its head with tries from Latu and Izawa, Yoshida converting both. Two penalty tries and others by Halvey and Hogan allowed Ireland to ease to victory.
Ireland would beat Wales in the final pool match, but were completely outplayed by France in the quarter-final. South Africa beat New Zealand in a final notable for the poisoning allegations - the All Blacks claimed their food had been tampered with - and the presence of Nelson Mandela to present captain Francois Pienaar with the trophy.
IRELAND: C O'Shea; R Wallace, B Mullin, M Field, S Geoghegan; P Burke, N Hogan; N Popplewell (capt), K Wood, P Wallace; D Tweed, N Francis; D Corkery, P Johns, E Halvey. Replacements: T Kingston for Wood; A Foley for Tweed.
JAPAN: T Matsuda; L Oto Daito, A Yoshida, Y Motoki, Y Yoshida; S Hirao, M Horikoshi; O Ota, M Kunda (capt), M Takura; Y Sakuraba, B Ferguson; A Kajihara, S Latu Daito, S Latu. Replacement: K Izawa for Latu.
