JUDGEMENT DAY
Scotland v Japan game at Rugby World Cup hangs in balance due to typhoon
>> FUKUOKA: Ireland played with 14 men for 50 minutes but still eased into the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals with a seven try, 47-5 demolition of a ragged Samoa in their final Pool A match yesterday.
Centre Bundee Aki became the seventh player to be shown a red card at the tournament when he was sent off at Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium for a high tackle on Samoa fly-half Ulupano Seuteni in the 29th minute — but Joe Schmidt’s Ireland were already 21-5 up at that stage.
Fly-half Johnny Sexton earned the bonus point that secured their passage with his second try just before half-time and skipper Rory Best, prop Tadgh Furlong, full-back Jordan Larmour, No.8 CJ Stander and winger Andrew Conway also crossed.
Fukuoka escaped the violent storm that forced the cancellation of yesterday’s other two matches but Typhoon Hagibis could still prevent Japan playing Scotland today to decide if Ireland next face the champions All Blacks or South Africa.
Having lost to Japan and laboured to victory over Russia after a dominant opening win over Scotland, Ireland needed to make a statement and came into yesterday’s match with a near-full strength side, boosted by centre Robbie Henshaw’s return from a hamstring strain.
The unstable state of the pitch was a talking point in the lead-up, and despite the attentions of a team of ground staff, it was badly chopped up by half-time.
Samoa’s defence was as ragged as the playing surface and it crumbled against the first Irish shove from a lineout drive, with Best touching down from the back of a maul in the fourth minute.
Two minutes later, Samoa were down to 14 men with hooker Seilala Lam drawing a yellow card for a high tackle on Jacob Stockdale.
Ireland wasted no time in stretching their opponents, with quick hands finding battering ram Furlong, who planted the ball over the line after bursting through four defenders.
By the start of the second quarter, Ireland were 21-0 up, with jetheeled winger Larmour setting up Sexton’s first try with a brilliant linebreak and inside pass near the right corner.
It took a loose Irish pass and intercept for Samoa to get their first points, with captain Jack Lam completing a furious drive over the line.
The game then threatened to turn Samoa’s way when Aki was sent off by referee Nic Berry.
But Ireland responded brilliantly, pushing the Samoans back over the gain-line and soon winning a penalty scrum at the fivemetre line.
Murray whisked the ball wide to his halfback partner and Sexton easily split two defenders to claim the bonus point try a minute before the break.
Aki’s absence was barely noted after the re-start as Ireland starved the Samoans of possession and rumbled forward.
Lethal behind the scrum, Murray found Larmour at the right corner with a cut-out pass and the young full-back’s converted try blew the lead out to 33-5.
Ireland’s forwards maintained the pressure and Samoa soon had a second man sent off, with TJ Ioane drawing yellow near the hour-mark for a ruck infringement.
With team numbers back to parity, backrower CJ Stander crashed over for Ireland’s sixth try before Conway completed their scoring.