They’ve done it again. Japan the underdogs, deservedly beat Ireland (ranked no.2 in the world) in RWC 2019, after their previous shock win over South Africa in the RWC 2015. In a word Japan was magnificent. Relentless energy, pace, strong tackling with man-to-man battles all over the park. Japan were the better team. Congratulations to them.
It’s been coming ever since the Triple Crown winning 1985 Irish rugby team first toured Japan. That Japan would host a world cup let alone beat Ireland was unthinkable when Ireland first toured Japan in 1985.
In 1985, the IRFU didn’t even award caps for the two test matches! But, the signs were there. The second Test was 12-12 at half time, with Ireland eventually pulling away 33-15.
“It was the most physical match I’d ever played in until then” said the Irish captain, Ciaran Fitzgerald. The signs were there. Here’s a few memories from that 1985 tour to Japan.
They were fierce courteous
“They’d start bowing, then you’d bow a bit more, but they’d even bow lower, and then you’d almost be banging your head on the floor” recalls Irish winger, Moss Finn, good-naturedly. “They were fierce courteous.” Finn recalls “The most difficult part of the day was the race to nab these enormous prawns at the post-match buffet.”
I had to postpone my wedding
“I had to postpone my wedding” remembers wing-forward, Paddy Kenny, It took Kenny another 7 years to win his one and only Irish cap. “Mercifully, his prospective bride, Colleen*, was a daughter of the great Irish wing forward, Jim Fitzpatrick, one of the famed back-row trio from the 1948 Grand Slam team. “I had some support,” Kenny smiles.
Then the Karaoke starts
After the food, a few beers, including karaoke, where Donal Lenihan and Ralph Keyes goaded Moss Finn to ask the DJ if he had ‘The Green Green Grass of Home.’ He did. “I wouldn’t be like Mike Kiernan, who did Rod Stewart better then Rod Stewart himself. It went down like a bag of manure. Our crowd were in stitches of course. But when I finished, silence!”
As they traveled home
As they traveled home from that June 1985 tour, talks about a World Cup were advancing steadily. Few thought it would happen.: fewer still that one day, Japan would not only host the tournament but also face Ireland and ultimately beat Ireland (the number two team in the world).
New friendships emerge
Despite Ireland’s 2019 RWC loss, friends are made between Japanese and Irish fans
2019 Irish and Japanese fans minglingIn some cases lifelong friends just like the remarkable photo (below) of a South African fan embracing a Japanese fan in 2015 after Japan shocked the world by beating South Africa. It is hard to see who won and who lost! The SA fan congratulated Japan. The tearful Japanese fan’s little girl is somewhere in the middle.
They swapped shirts later. In fact, the Japanese fan invited the SA fan to come and stay with him in during the next Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019!
This is the magic of the Rugby World Cup. Congratulations to Japan, for being outstanding hosts and for playing wonderful rugby against Ireland in #RWC2019. Japan deserved to win.
Irish fans later sang ‘Stand Up For The Japanese’ and ‘Shoes off for the Japanese’ (see video below). As Irish coach Joe Schmidt said: “They are a tremendous side, they did really well and congratulations to them.”
My father said
My father used to say ‘we’ll rise again’ and now, more than ever before, Ireland must rise again in the Land Of The Rising Sun.
—end—
* Note: Coleen Kenny has actually posted a comment in this blog, about her father Jim, quoting her the verse: ‘When The Great Scorekeeper ComesTo Write Against Your Name…’
Thanks to David Kelly of the Irish Independent and his excellent article: Ireland’s first tour to Land of Rising Sun 28 Sep 2019 and thanks also to Chris Hickey and Jim Dierker for sending their 2019 photos and Frank McNally for the video.
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Great article. Great photos. It’s a real boost for the tournament when the host team does well. The Japanese have been great hosts. Let’s hope we have more thrilling games played with style and sportsmanship
It was definitely one of those “I was there” games and it was a privilege to be at the match. The cameraderie between the fans before AND after was genuine and infectious. Our Japanese guide said Japanese TV and media are full of praise for Irish fans and this has done wonders for the relationship between the two countries.
Yes Chris – this is the way it should be – extending the hand of friendship regardless of the result – what a battle it was. And at the end of the game, when the ref blows the final whistle, he/she utters ‘No Side’ or so my father told me many moons ago.