Ciara Griffin claims two tries in last game as Ireland edge Japan
Ciara Griffin signed off on her international career in spectacular style on Saturday afternoon by bagging a brace of outstanding tries in a hard-earned victory for the Ireland women’s rugby team against Japan at the RDS.
Overcoming a nine-point interval deficit – and the 29th-minute dismissal of first-time starter Hannah O’Connor – the home team did just enough to see off a stubborn Japanese challenge.
This was also Adam Griggs’ final game as Ireland head coach, with Greg McWilliams set to assume the hot seat in the new year. Whoever the latter chooses as his new captain, they will have big boots to fill. Such is the imprint Griffin has left since taking on the role in 2018.
It was Skibbereen native Enya Breen who got the ball rolling for Ireland with a routine penalty on six minutes, but Lesley McKenzie’s visitors subsequently worked their way into the action with an unconverted finish by outside centre Mana Furuta.
While the concession of this try was a setback for Ireland, they suffered an even bigger blow when O’Connor was red-carded for a reckless challenge on opposition hooker Nijiho Nagata.
This asked serious questions of the Irish resolve and, courtesy of Seina Saito’s converted try at the end of a relentless attacking spell, they were 12-3 adrift heading into the second period.
Griffin was determined to go out on a high, however, and after charging an attempted clearance by Kanako Kobayashi in the 44th-minute, the Kerry native touched down in consummate fashion.
The UL Bohemians stalwart wasn’t finished there as she claimed a second try with a superb driving finish underneath a slew of Japanese bodies on 55 minutes.
Ireland were now a rejuvenated force and Limerick’s Aoife Doyle looked set to extend their lead just past the hour mark only for her try to be ruled out for an earlier knock-on by full-back Lauren Delany.
A missed penalty by Breen on the stroke of 70 minutes left the door open for Japan, but Ireland held out under relentless pressure to give Griffin and Griggs the perfect send-off.
C Griffin 2 tries, E Breen pen, con.
S Saito, M Furuta try each, A Otsuka con.
L Delany; A Doyle, E Considine, S Naoupu, L Sheehan; E Breen, K Dane; L Feely, N Jones, L Djougang; A McDermott, S Monaghan; C Griffin, E McMahon, H O’Connor.
K O’Dwyer for Feely, C Moloney for Jones (both 46), S Touhey for Doyle, A Caplice for McMahon (both 65).
R Anoku; H Nagura, M Furuta, K Kobayashi, K Imakugi; A Otsuka, M Tsukui; S Kato, N Nagata, M Lavemai; K Tamai, O Yoshimura; S Saito, M Suzuki, A Nagai.
W Kitano for Yoshimura, M Abe for Tsukui (both h-t), S Minami for Lavemai (46), I Nagata for Nagai (50), M Yamamoto for Otsuka (55), Y Ito for Suzuki (59), A Kokaji for N Nagata (74).
C Munarini (Italy).