The Ireland women’s team’s tour of Japan ended in disappointment at Prince Chichibu Stadium in Tokyo yesterday as Greg McWilliams’ charges suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the Sakura XV.

Having overcome the same opposition with 35 points to spare seven days ago, winning 57-22 at Ecopa Stadium in Shizuoka seven days ago, Ireland were looking to round off this historic two-Test series in style. Natasja Behan and Katie O’Dwyer scored tries in either half, but they were second best to a Japan side with a point to prove.

While he had designs on keeping changes to a minimum, the hand of Ireland head coach McWilliams was forced. An injury to Sam Monaghan meant Hannah O’Connor partnering team captain Nichola Fryday in the second row, and Grace Moore taking over from O’Connor at No 8.

Dorothy Wall was also ruled out of contention and her place at blindside flanker went to Jo Brown. Despite having picked up seven caps in the white of England in the past, Brown has switched allegiances courtesy of a significant change in World Rugby’s eligibility rules that came into effect at the beginning of 2022. Elsewhere, Laura Feely was offered a chance to impress at loosehead prop as an indirect replacement for O’Dwyer.

In last weekend’s opening Test, wing Behan was the only one of four starting debutants not to score. In yesterday’s rematch, it took her just under three minutes to do so. Off a lineout inside the Japan 22, Ailsa Hughes released Behan for a powerful finish in the right corner. Even though Dannah O’Brien was wide of the mark off the resulting conversion, this was the perfect start.

Yet the hosts were eager to restore pride following a heavy defeat in the first game and relentlessly pursued an equalising score. Having gone close on several occasions, their patience was eventually rewarded when Ayasa Otsuka raced over the whitewash in the 16th minute.

Japan had used their scrum to good effect for Otsuka’s try and it paid dividends for them once again with six minutes remaining in the opening period. After their pack had established momentum, Rinka Matsuda secured a converted try that left Ireland 12-5 adrift at the interval.

Supplementing Hinano Nagura’s well-worked try on 49 minutes, Matsuda skipped past Meabh Deely to cross over for the second time.

Ireland received a much-needed lifeline when O’Dwyer spotted a gap to dot down for her second Ireland try just shy of the hour mark. But Sachiko Kato touched down for Japan’s fifth with 15 minutes left. Jess Keating and Emma Tilly made their debuts off the bench, but Ireland couldn’t find another score.

Scorers: Japan: Tries R Matsuda (36min, 55), A Otsuka (17), H Nagura (49), S Kato (66). Cons A Otsuka 2 Ireland: Tries N Behan (4), K O’Dwyer (60)

Japan R Matsuda; H Nagura, M Furuta, S Nakayama, K Imakugi; A Otsuka (M Yamamoto 77min), M Abe (M Tsukui 64); S Minami (S Kato 50), N Nagata (K Taniguchi 60), M Lavemai (Y Sadaka 50); M Takano (K Tamai 50), Y Sato (O Yoshimura 64); S Saito, I Nagata, A Nagai (K Hosokawa 56)

Ireland M Deely; N Behan (E Tilly 74), A Dalton (L Tarpey 76), E Breen, A Doyle; D O’Brien, A Hughes (M Scuffil-McCabe 56); L Feely (K O’Dwyer 46), N Jones (E Hooban 69), L Djougang (C Pearse 69); H O’Connor (T Schutzler 74), N Fryday; J Brown (J Keating 74), E McMahon, G Moore

Referee L Jenner (N Zealand)