Tony Brown

Once upon a time it was France. Often times it’s been the All Blacks. Very often it’s been Fiji. For a while it was Argentina. But, since the last Wor(...)

Tony Brown, the Japan attack coach, believes that even without their Lions cohort and some rested frontliners Ireland will be a tougher proposition on(...)

“The Secret to the Japanese Attack Speed” by Atsushi Tanabe captivated the most recent Zoom gathering of coaches. It was effectively a presentation th(...)

Some get to pen their own exits, be it Brian O’Driscoll to Derek Pender in our neck of the woods, or in Rugby World Cups most recently there was the A(...)

Schmidt Happens He shook up the world order. Altered the way Irish rugby is perceived from Samoa to Bloemfontein. He gifted the most important people(...)

Only a game, but what a game. Japan and Scotland served up the best of the 37 pool matches in the last of them. After Typhoon Hagibis, which wreaked s(...)

“For one week only, Japan is the enemy,” Rassie Erasmus tells the room while outside, the rain drums the footpaths and the leaves fall. The Springboks(...)

Japan are now a serious factor at their own 2019 World Cup. The conditions and the scheduling already in their favour, now, thanks to a brilliantly pl(...)

“Arigato gozaimasu.” Joe Schmidt speaks more Japanese than his opposite number Jamie Joseph. After Schmidt’s media masterclass in Yumeria almost spinn(...)

Rugby World Cup Pool A: Japan v Ireland Kick-off: 8.15am, Saturday (Irish time). Venue: Shizuoka Stadium. How to follow: The Irish Times liveblog wil(...)