Autumn Nations Series
Fourteen-man Springboks stun France in Paris masterclass
Published
2 days agoon
The Springboks produced one of their greatest performances to mark Siya Kolisi’s 100th Test cap with a stunning comeback victory, overcoming a first-half red card to beat France 32-17 at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Key moments:
4′ – TRY FRANCE: Damian Penaud gathers Thomas Ramos’ chip to score, Thomas Ramos converts (7-0)
10′ – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicks penalty from halfway (7-3)
13′ – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicks penalty (7-6)
27′ – TRY FRANCE: Damian Penaud scores his second from slick backline move, Thomas Ramos converts (14-6)
33′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Cobus Reinach makes 40m break, chips ahead and scores, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (14-13)
40′ – RED CARD SOUTH AFRICA: Lood de Jager sent off for dangerous tackle on Thomas Ramos
Half-time: France 14-13 South Africa
59′ – PENALTY FRANCE: Thomas Ramos kicks penalty (17-13)
63′ – YELLOW CARD FRANCE: Louis Bielle-Biarrey sent to sin bin for deliberate knock-down
65′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Andre Esterhuizen scores from driving maul, conversion missed (17-18)
71′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Grant Williams sells dummy and scores under posts, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (17-25)
77′ – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu dummies and scores in corner, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts (17-32)
Full-time: France 17-32 South Africa
Playing the entire second half with 14 men after lock Lood de Jager was dismissed just before the interval, South Africa scored three unanswered tries in the final 20 minutes to silence a packed Paris crowd and extend their recent dominance over Les Bleus to nine wins from their last 10 meetings.
This was the first clash between the sides since their dramatic 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the same venue, and remarkably, it delivered similarly heartbreaking scenes for the hosts as the world champions produced another demonstration of their remarkable resilience.
France looked to have the perfect script in place when they flew out of the blocks, Damian Penaud crossing after just four minutes to become France’s all-time leading try scorer with his 39th Test touchdown. Thomas Ramos created the score with a perfectly weighted chip over the Springbok defence that sat up beautifully for Penaud to collect and stroll over untouched. The winger’s historic moment, surpassing the legendary Serge Blanco, sent the Stade de France into raptures as Ramos added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
South Africa responded through the reliable boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, whose long-range penalties from halfway and then 42 meters out reduced the gap to 7-6. However, the young flyhalf missed his next two attempts which would have given the Springboks the lead.
Penaud struck again in the 27th minute, showcasing his clinical finishing ability. After an attacking French lineout five meters out, the hosts worked the ball from left to right with Ntamack delivering a skip pass to Ramos, who timed his feed to Penaud perfectly. The Bordeaux winger dived over in the corner for his milestone 40th Test try despite the covering Springbok defence. Ramos nailed a challenging conversion from the touchline, the ball kissing the left upright on its way over to make it 14-6.
The world champions hit back with a moment of individual brilliance from Cobus Reinach in the 33rd minute. The 35-year-old scrum-half spotted space around a ruck near halfway and scythed through the gap, catching the French defence napping. With Ramos as the last defender, Reinach executed a perfectly weighted chip kick that bounced favorably for him to gather and slide over the line despite pressure from the covering defence. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s touchline conversion narrowed France’s lead to just 14-13.
Disaster struck for the Springboks moments before half-time when De Jager was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Ramos. The lock protested, but referee Angus Gardner determined that De Jager’s shoulder had made direct contact with Ramos’ head with no attempt to wrap his arms, despite the French fullback slipping to ground during the contact.
The red card forced Rassie Erasmus into a bold half-time tactical shuffle. In an extraordinary display of selflessness, captain Kolisi – celebrating his milestone 100th appearance – was sacrificed to allow Andre Esterhuizen to enter the fray and operate in a hybrid role, alternating between center and back-row depending on the phase of play.
“It was a tough call for the captain,” Erasmus explained post-match. “When I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood. This is a huge game, and the entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we’ll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match.”
France, despite their numerical advantage, struggled to capitalize in the second half. A penalty from Ramos on 59 minutes extended their lead to 17-13, but they couldn’t find the knockout blow despite spending long periods in South African territory. Instead, momentum swung dramatically when winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was shown a yellow card for deliberately knocking down a pass with South Africa threatening an overlap in the 63rd minute.
With the teams temporarily at 14 players apiece, the Springboks pounced. From the resulting lineout, they opted to kick for the corner rather than take the three points. Marx found Nortje at the lineout, and the Springboks set up a driving maul. They gained momentum instantly and South Africa stormed over the try line, with Esterhuizen – the “hybrid player” experiment paying dividends – forcing the ball down cleanly to give South Africa their first lead at 18-17.
The world champions never looked back. Another lineout maul in the 71st minute created the platform for replacement scrum-half Grant Williams to spot a gap, sell an outrageous dummy that fooled multiple French defenders, and sprint through untouched to score under the posts. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion stretched the lead to 25-17.
With France rattled and conceding a flurry of penalties, the Springboks delivered the coup de grace in the 77th minute. After sustained pressure from the forwards who hammered away phase after phase in the red zone, Manie Libbok released Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the outside. The young playmaker, now operating at fullback after Libbok had replaced Damian Willemse, dummied perfectly before getting outside his defender and curving his run toward the posts to score his team’s fourth try. The flyhalf converted his own try to complete the scoring at 32-17 and cap a personal haul of 17 points.
“That was what we thought it was going to be against France,” said man-of-the-match Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “We were doing well in contestable kicks but were not getting points on the board, but we stuck in there and it was great to win for Siya on his 100th cap.”
The 23-year-old flyhalf, who has emerged as South Africa’s first-choice No.10 during the Rugby Championship, added: “I got injured on December 28th against the Sharks, and we chatted after the game and Siya just told me to hold tight, that we’re going to make memories together. Since then, we’ve won a Rugby Championship, a Freedom Cup, and a very tough away game here. He’s done so much for me and the whole country. He’s a real leader and someone who leads by example.”
For France, it was another bitter defeat to South Africa at their national stadium, leaving head coach Fabien Galthié to rue missed opportunities. “Around the 60th minute we had three clear chances where we should have scored, then we conceded a series of penalties, and we were forced to defend our line until the yellow card and the try,” he lamented.
“We played against one of the best South African teams,” Galthié added. “They were capable of preventing us from scoring in the early second half during our strong moments. Even in great difficulty, they managed to keep us from scoring. And then they were able to take control of the game in a very powerful and skillful way.”
Penaud’s record-breaking double provided some consolation for the home side, with the Bordeaux winger surpassing Serge Blanco’s long-standing French record of 38 tries. But the night ultimately belonged to South Africa, who reaffirmed their status as the world’s leading team with a victory that underlined the immense character within their squad.
The Springboks now head to Italy for the third match of their five-game tour, before facing Ireland and Wales. France must regroup quickly as they prepare to host Fiji in Bordeaux next weekend.
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Autumn Nations Series
Duo that got away haunt Wallabies as Italy clinch win in Udine
Published
1 day agoon
9th November 2025
Italy secured back-to-back victories over Australia for the first time in their rugby history, defeating the Wallabies 26-19 in Udine on Saturday to deliver another crushing blow to Joe Schmidt’s struggling side.
Key moments:
7′ – PENALTY ITALY: Paolo Garbisi kicks penalty after Australia penalized at breakdown (3-0)
12′ – PENALTY ITALY: Paolo Garbisi slots second penalty after Wallabies infringe again (6-0)
21′ – TRY AUSTRALIA: Matt Faessler scores from rolling maul, Andrew Kellaway conversion missed (6-5)
32′ – TRY AUSTRALIA: Angus Bell stretches over from close range, Andrew Kellaway converts (6-12)
38′ – PENALTY ITALY: Paolo Garbisi kicks penalty after Taniela Tupou contact off the ball (9-12)
Half-time: Italy 9-12 Australia
49′ – PENALTY ITALY: Paolo Garbisi kicks penalty after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii kicks ball out on full (12-12)
51′ – TRY AUSTRALIA: Carter Gordon scoops up loose ball and steps Monty Ioane to score, Andrew Kellaway converts (12-19)
57′ – YELLOW CARD AUSTRALIA: Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sent to sin bin for high tackle on Paolo Garbisi
58′ – TRY ITALY: Louis Lynagh powers over in corner despite cover tackle, Paolo Garbisi converts difficult kick (19-19)
63′ – TRY ITALY: Monty Ioane breaks Australian tackle to score against country of birth, Paolo Garbisi converts (26-19)
68′ – Billy Pollard held up over the line as Italy’s defense stands firm
79′ – Fraser McReight wins breakdown penalty but Italian defense holds firm in final minutes
Full-time: Italy 26-19 Australia
In a match loaded with symbolism and irony, it was two wingers with deep Australian connections who delivered the telling blows for the Azzurri. Louis Lynagh, son of Australian rugby legend Michael, and Melbourne-born Monty Ioane crossed for decisive second-half tries as Italy repeated their 2022 Florence heroics.
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 #Azzurro 💙 #ITAvAUS #Italrugby #QuilterNS #QNS pic.twitter.com/5mjgDufoLh
— Italrugby (@Federugby) November 8, 2025
The defeat – Australia’s fifth in their last six Tests – all but extinguished their hopes of securing a top-six world ranking ahead of December’s draw for the 2027 World Cup, which they will host. More immediately, it leaves Schmidt’s men facing a crisis of confidence with daunting fixtures against Ireland and France still to come on their northern tour.
On a clear, cool evening in northern Italy, the hosts began brightly in front of a passionate 25,000-strong crowd at Stadio Friuli. Flyhalf Paolo Garbisi, who would finish with a flawless 16-point kicking performance, slotted two penalties in the opening 12 minutes as Australia’s discipline wavered early.
The Wallabies, featuring four changes from their Twickenham defeat including the return of Carter Gordon for his first Test since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, struggled to find rhythm in the opening quarter. Their kicking game was particularly poor, with multiple attempts sailing directly into touch. Gordon, Jake Gordon, and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii all contributed to this problem, handing territory and momentum to the hosts.
Australia finally breached the Italian defence in the 21st minute when hooker Matt Faessler, making his first appearance since the British & Irish Lions series, crashed over from a well-executed rolling maul that started from the 22-meter line. Andrew Kellaway missed the conversion from a manageable position, emblematic of Australia’s wayward afternoon.
The visitors took the lead in the 32nd minute after a clever snipe from scrum-half Jake Gordon created space near the Italian line. After several phases, prop Angus Bell stretched out to score despite the attention of two Italian defenders. Kellaway added the extras this time, giving Australia a 12-6 advantage that seemed to suggest they had weathered the early Italian storm.
A late penalty against Taniela Tupou for contact off the ball on Danilo Fischetti allowed Garbisi to narrow the gap to 12-9 at the interval, as Australia’s ill-discipline continued to undermine their efforts.
The second half began as the first had ended, with another Wallabies kicking error – this time from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – allowing Garbisi to level the scores at 12-12 after 49 minutes. The Toulon flyhalf’s perfect afternoon with the boot continued, keeping Italy in touching distance despite Australia’s territorial advantage.
In the 51st minute came the match’s most controversial moment. Australian captain Harry Wilson appeared to lose the ball forward in contact with Manuel Zuliani, but referee Andrew Brace ruled it a legitimate strip. Carter Gordon reacted quickest to scoop up the loose ball and step past Monty Ioane to score under the posts, much to the fury of Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada who kicked his seat repeatedly in frustration. Kellaway’s simple conversion gave Australia a 19-12 lead, but it would prove their final score of the match.
Gordon, who had shown glimpses of his potential with an earlier line break and deft passing, was forced off shortly afterwards with a recurrence of the quad injury that had delayed his tour debut. Tane Edmed entered the fray as his replacement in the 54th minute, disrupting Australia’s backline cohesion at a critical juncture.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Suaalii was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Garbisi in the 57th minute. The Italian playmaker was caught across the jaw in a tackle that left referee Brace with little choice but to send the cross-code star to the sin bin. From the resulting attack, Louis Lynagh showed tremendous strength to finish in the corner despite a desperate covering tackle. Garbisi nailed the difficult conversion from near the touchline to level the scores at 19-19, sending the crowd into raptures.
With Italy now surging forward against 14 men, the decisive blow came just five minutes later. Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Stephen Varney, outstanding throughout and later named player of the match, broke clear from a ruck before finding Monty Ioane on the left wing. The Lyon winger, facing his country of birth, powerfully brushed aside Harry Potter’s desperate tackle to score Italy’s second try with a spectacular one-handed finish at the corner flag. Garbisi’s conversion gave the hosts a seven-point cushion they would not relinquish.
Australia mounted several late attacks, including a close-range effort in the 68th minute that saw replacement hooker Billy Pollard held up over the line after a heroic defensive effort from the Italians. The Azzurri nearly sealed the match when Federico Ruzza intercepted a pass and raced downfield, but his offload went to ground with the try line beckoning.
The Wallabies’ final opportunity came in the 79th minute when Fraser McReight, one of the few Australian players to enhance his reputation, won a breakdown penalty. They kicked to the corner but Italy’s defence, which had made 152 tackles to Australia’s 97, stood firm once more. Lorenzo Cannone’s decisive turnover on Tom Hooper deep in Italian territory ended Australia’s hopes, sparking jubilant celebrations among the home players and fans.
“We’re hurting,” admitted Wallabies captain Harry Wilson post-match. “We wanted to fix it up from last week, we said we were going to fix it – and we didn’t. We want to be a team that says we’re going to do what we say we’re going to do, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
The breakdown proved particularly problematic for Australia, who conceded 13 penalties to Italy’s seven. “The breakdown was a mess tonight,” conceded Wilson, who personally conceded four penalties. “Credit to Italy, they made it a mess. It was a bit of a lottery in there and we’ve got to be a lot better.”
Schmidt, facing mounting pressure after a string of disappointing results, acknowledged his team’s shortcomings. “We just look a bit flat. I said progress isn’t linear, but that was a flat performance. That’s a dip we can’t afford to have. And we’ve got two massive games coming up now.”
The Wallabies coach also faces potential injury concerns with both Angus Bell and Carter Gordon departing with injuries, further complicating preparations for the upcoming clashes with Ireland and France. Bell was replaced by former All Black Aidan Ross at halftime, adding to Australia’s mounting injury toll on this difficult tour.
For Italy, the victory represented further evidence of their development under Quesada, who has built on the foundations laid by predecessor Kieran Crowley. Having pushed Ireland close in the Six Nations and now claiming consecutive wins over Australia, the Azzurri will face South Africa and Chile in their remaining November fixtures with renewed confidence.
“We were able to stay attached to the score,” said Paolo Garbisi afterward. “When the minutes pass and you’re still there attached, you start to believe. We took advantage of the numerical superiority in the second half and we were good in defense at holding against the Australian attack. It was a courageous Italy, quite precise, with a lot of heart.”
As the final whistle sparked jubilant celebrations in Udine, the contrasting emotions between the two camps could not have been starker. For Italy, this was confirmation of their continued progress on the international stage. For Australia, it marked a new low in a challenging 2025 campaign that threatens to unravel completely ahead of two daunting fixtures in Dublin and Paris.
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Autumn Nations Series
Damian McKenzie magic rescues All Blacks after Scotland fightback
Published
2 days agoon
8th November 2025
Damian McKenzie produced three moments of last-quarter brilliance to break Scottish hearts and preserve New Zealand’s 120-year unbeaten record against the hosts with a 25-17 victory at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Key moments:
3′ – Cam Roigard try after Josh Lord break, Beauden Barrett converts (0-7)
29′ – Beauden Barrett penalty after Scotland caught offside (0-10)
33′ – Leroy Carter yellow card for tripping Darcy Graham
40′ – Will Jordan try following Wallace Sititi break, Beauden Barrett converts (0-17)
46′ – Ewan Ashman try from driving maul, Finn Russell converts (7-17)
46′ – Ardie Savea yellow card for collapsing maul
51′ – Kyle Steyn try after Sione Tuipulotu break, Finn Russell converts (14-17)
60′ – Finn Russell penalty levels the match (17-17)
61′ – Wallace Sititi yellow card for deliberate knock-on
74′ – Damian McKenzie try with exceptional finish in corner, conversion missed (17-22)
79′ – Damian McKenzie penalty seals victory (17-25)
On a day when Scottish Gas Murrayfield celebrated its centenary with an RAF Typhoon fly-past before kick-off, Gregor Townsend’s men came agonisingly close to making history. Trailing 17-0 at half-time, Scotland mounted a stirring comeback to draw level at 17-17 on the hour mark before McKenzie’s late heroics secured the win for the All Blacks.
We get it done at Murrayfield 🖤 pic.twitter.com/svTrtf3LSZ
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 8, 2025
The victory, which sees New Zealand improve to 31 wins and two draws from 33 matches against Scotland, keeps their Grand Slam tour hopes alive following last week’s triumph over Ireland in Chicago.
The All Blacks started with explosive intent, scoring after just three minutes. Lock Josh Lord, starting in place of injured captain Scott Barrett, burst through a gap from the base of a ruck on the halfway line, catching the Scottish defenders completely off guard. The towering second-rower galloped 30 metres into open field, drawing Blair Kinghorn before perfectly timing his pass to scrum-half Cam Roigard, who had tracked his break brilliantly and had an unimpeded run to the line. Beauden Barrett’s conversion was a formality from in front of the posts.
Scotland responded with sustained pressure but found themselves repeatedly repelled by New Zealand’s ferocious defence, which rushed up to smother their wide attacking moves. The visitors extended their lead in the 29th minute with a Barrett penalty after Scotland were caught offside during another prolonged defensive stand.
The complexion of the match seemed to change when All Blacks winger Leroy Carter was shown a yellow card in the 33rd minute for cynically tripping Darcy Graham. The Scottish winger had hacked a loose ball ahead and was in full flight chasing his own kick when Carter deliberately stuck out a foot to trip him, leaving referee Nic Berry with little choice but to reach for his pocket.
However, the Scots couldn’t capitalise on their numerical advantage, despite coming agonizingly close. Centre Rory Hutchinson was held up over the line by smothering New Zealand defence after a series of powerful carries had brought Scotland to within inches of scoring.
Instead, it was the All Blacks who struck a psychological blow on the stroke of half-time. In a perfectly executed blindside attack, flanker Wallace Sititi, named after Scottish folk hero William Wallace during his father Semo’s playing days with Border Reivers, galloped down the left touchline, brushing aside Darcy Graham’s attempted tackle.
As Kinghorn committed to the tackle, Sititi smartly delayed his pass before releasing Will Jordan on his inside for the fullback’s 44th Test try. Barrett’s successful conversion from near the touchline gave New Zealand a commanding 17-0 lead at the interval.
The second half brought about a remarkable transformation as Scotland stormed back into contention. Feeding off the increasingly vocal Murrayfield crowd, the hosts launched a series of attacks that culminated in hooker Ewan Ashman powering over from a perfectly executed driving maul in the 46th minute. The Scottish forwards formed a compact, powerful driving unit that the All Blacks couldn’t legally contain, with captain Ardie Savea shown a yellow card for attempting to collapse the maul just before Ashman grounded the ball. Finn Russell’s conversion from out wide reduced the deficit to 10 points.
With Murrayfield now in full voice and the All Blacks down to 14 men, Scotland struck again five minutes later with a superbly crafted try. Captain Sione Tuipulotu made a powerful surge through the midfield that sucked in multiple New Zealand defenders before quick ball allowed Russell to shift play wide. Blair Kinghorn entered the line at pace and delivered a perfectly timed long pass that found Kyle Steyn in space on the left wing, and the Glasgow Warriors flyer stepped inside the covering defence to cross for Scotland’s second try. Russell’s conversion from a difficult angle bisected the posts to make it 17-14.
Scotland’s momentum seemed unstoppable as they poured forward in waves. Darcy Graham thought he had scored in the 56th minute after another brilliant attacking sequence that stretched the All Blacks defense to breaking point. The Edinburgh winger dived for the line in the right corner but a magnificent last-ditch cover tackle from Roigard dislodged the ball from his grasp at the crucial moment as Graham stretched to ground it.
Russell’s penalty on the hour mark completed the comeback, bringing the scores level at 17-17 after McKenzie was penalized for straying offside. The roar that accompanied the successful kick almost lifted the roof off Murrayfield. Just a minute later, Scotland’s chances received another boost when Sititi became the third All Black to receive a yellow card, this time for deliberately knocking down a pass as Scotland threatened another break.
With the All Blacks having played 30 minutes of the match with 14 men, the momentum appeared firmly with Scotland. However, McKenzie, who had replaced the injured Caleb Clarke early in the second half, produced his first moment of magic with a perfectly weighted 50:22 kick that split Scotland’s backfield cover and bounced into touch just five meters from the try line. The tactical masterstroke gave the All Blacks their first attacking platform of the half and visibly drained some of the energy from the home crowd.
From the resulting lineout, the All Blacks hammered at the Scottish line through multiple phases before McKenzie scored a try that defied belief in the 74th minute. After Barrett was swamped by defenders, he managed to fling a desperate long pass to Leicester Fainga’anuku on the left wing. The powerful centre, who had shifted wide during the match, immediately drew two defenders before slipping the ball to McKenzie. With seemingly nowhere to go near the touchline, McKenzie somehow twisted his body in mid-air while being tackled by both Blair Kinghorn and replacement hooker George Turner, managing to avoid going into touch while simultaneously reaching out to ground the ball in the corner. The extraordinary athleticism and body control left even the partisan Scottish crowd gasping in admiration.
McKenzie’s conversion attempt from the touchline drifted wide, but New Zealand had reclaimed the lead at 22-17 with just six minutes remaining. The momentum shift was palpable, and Scotland suddenly looked spent after their heroic comeback efforts.
With blood pouring from a facial cut, McKenzie completed his spectacular cameo by landing a 45-metre penalty in the 79th minute to put the result beyond doubt. The kick, struck with perfect technique from a difficult angle, sailed between the posts to secure the eight-point margin that ensured there would be no last-gasp Scottish miracle.
Scotland’s loose forward trio were outstanding throughout, with Gregor Brown particularly impressive in the breakdown and Jack Dempsey providing powerful carries that repeatedly got Scotland over the gain line. For New Zealand, Wallace Sititi’s ball-carrying and offloading caused constant problems despite his yellow card, while Peter Lakai’s defence and two crucial breakdown turnovers proved vital in stemming the Scottish tide during their period of dominance.
The All Blacks will now head to Twickenham to face England next Saturday in the third match of their Grand Slam attempt, while Scotland must regroup before hosting Argentina at Murrayfield on Sunday.
For Scotland, another near-miss against the All Blacks will be hard to take, particularly given how close they came to making history after their spectacular second-half performance. The quest for that elusive first victory continues, but the manner of their comeback suggests it may not be long before they finally overcome the All Blacks hurdle.
Reaction
Match-winner Damian McKenzie was modest about his decisive contributions after the game. “It was a tough old Test,” he said. “The boys started well and Scotland just came out and they were on top of us for the majority of that second half. As a team we knew we just had to be patient; once we got opportunities, nail them, play the right areas of the field.”
When asked about his spectacular try-scoring finish in the corner, McKenzie simply replied: “A bit of luck, I guess! The atmosphere and the city all week has been amazing.”
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson praised his team’s resilience through multiple yellow cards. “I’m just so proud of the adversity we went through. Thirty minutes with 14 men and to tackle like that was special,” he said. “We’re going to have adversity. Grand Slam is going to have everything; you’re not going to roll through. We need to be better, more consistent and make sure we have self-control, so nobody goes to their pocket anymore.”
Beauden Barrett acknowledged the quality of the opposition and the special occasion. “That was a true Test match, and exactly what we prepared for,” he said. “We have a lot of respect for this Scottish side and Murrayfield – it’s such a privilege to play here, especially on its centenary. Look, it’s not an ideal second half for us but we found a way somehow.”
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea admitted his team rode their luck at times. “Accuracy put us under pressure and we’re just glad to get away with a win,” he said. “Scotland’s a quality side and they came back and put us under immense pressure.”
For Scotland, the disappointment was palpable. Captain Sione Tuipulotu struggled to contain his emotions post-match. “I’m just so disappointed for the boys and all the Scottish fans that came out to watch us today,” he said. “We really wanted to win for everyone in the stadium and we didn’t get that today; that’s a tough pill to swallow.”
The Scottish skipper reflected on how close his team had come to making history. “It feels like, at 17-all, the game was there to be won. I think we’re a really good team now. We’ve gelled really well over the past couple of years. I don’t think it’s enough for us to say ‘we’re nearly there’ anymore – I think we’re better than that now.”
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend was equally deflated despite the pride in his team’s performance. “The win was there and we needed to kick on when it was 17-17,” he said. “Outstanding by us but we need to win these games. We need to make that next step.”
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Autumn Nations Series
Late surge powers sloppy Ireland past Japan in Dublin
Published
2 days agoon
8th November 2025
Ireland overcame a stuttering first-half performance and persistent lineout problems to defeat Japan 41-10 at the Aviva Stadium, with man of the match Tommy O’Brien capping an impressive display with a late try as Andy Farrell’s side scored four unanswered tries in the final quarter.
Key moments:
6′ – PENALTY IRELAND: Jack Crowley converts after Japan tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi penalized for collapsing scrum (3-0)
17′ – YELLOW CARD JAPAN: Charlie Lawrence sent to sin bin for dangerous lifting tackle on Tom Farrell
20′ – TRY IRELAND: Jack Crowley finishes flowing move after quick hands from Tadhg Beirne and gap-finding run from Thomas Clarkson, Jack Crowley converts (10-0)
30′ – TRY IRELAND: Nick Timoney races to the corner after James Ryan offload, Jack Crowley converts (17-0)
37′ – TRY JAPAN: Kenji Sato credited with try from rolling maul, Seungsin Lee converts (17-7)
40+1′ – YELLOW CARD IRELAND: Jacob Stockdale sin-binned for high tackle on Kippei Ishida
40+2′ – PENALTY JAPAN: Seungsin Lee slots penalty from in front of posts (17-10)
Half-time: Ireland 17-10 Japan
48′ – TRY IRELAND: Andrew Porter powers over after taking short pass from Craig Casey, Jack Crowley misses conversion (22-10)
54′ – NO TRY IRELAND: Jacob Stockdale’s try disallowed after Cian Prendergast ruled offside when charging down kick
66′ – Jamie Osborne leaves field with arm injury, replaced by Jimmy O’Brien
67′ – TRY IRELAND: Gus McCarthy scores from rolling maul after lineout, Sam Prendergast misses conversion (27-10)
72′ – TRY IRELAND: Paddy McCarthy barges over for debut try, Sam Prendergast converts (34-10)
76′ – TRY IRELAND: Tommy O’Brien races clear after Sam Prendergast gathers loose ball and pops inside pass, Sam Prendergast converts (41-10)
Full-time: Ireland 41-10 Japan
In front of 50,060 spectators, Ireland’s set-piece struggles continued from Chicago, with their lineout malfunctioning alarmingly throughout the first half – completing just 57 percent of their throws. Despite this, tries from Jack Crowley and Nick Timoney gave the hosts a 17-0 lead before Japan responded through Kenji Sato to cut the deficit to 17-10 at the break.
A big home W! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IqnWnLYei2
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 8, 2025
Ireland captain Caelan Doris, making his first start since May after shoulder surgery, had to endure a frustrating opening 40 minutes. The hosts also had to play the final minutes of the first half with 14 men after Jacob Stockdale received a yellow card for a high tackle on winger Kippei Ishida.
Following a Crowley penalty in the 6th minute after Japan collapsed a scrum, the game’s first try arrived in the 20th minute. Ireland seized their opportunity after Japan’s Charlie Lawrence was yellow-carded for a dangerous lifting tackle on debutant Tom Farrell. Playing with an advantage, Crowley initiated a flowing move, floating a pass to Tadhg Beirne who connected with O’Brien. Ryan Baird made ground down the right wing before Thomas Clarkson punched a hole through the defense. From quick recycling, Doris flicked a pass to his left where Crowley was looping around to collect and dive under the posts, before adding the conversion himself.
Ireland’s second try on the half-hour mark came from a moment of opportunism. After Beirne had spilled possession, James Ryan reacted quickest to the loose ball, freeing his hands to deliver a well-timed offload to Timoney. The Ulster flanker showcased his pace, racing away from the Japanese defense to score in the corner. Crowley’s impressive conversion from the touchline extended Ireland’s lead to 17-0.
Japan fought back admirably before the interval. Back-to-back penalties allowed them to gain field position deep in the Irish 22, before their well-organized maul drove over the line in the 37th minute. Kenji Sato was credited with the try, which Seungsin Lee converted. After Stockdale’s yellow card for a high tackle, Lee slotted a penalty with the final kick of the half to reduce the deficit to just seven points.
The second half saw Ireland gradually assert their dominance. Andrew Porter crashed over in the 48th minute for their third try, powering through from close range after a more cohesive attacking sequence that began with a clean lineout taken at the front. Tommy O’Brien made ground down the right wing before the ball was recycled quickly through several phases, with Porter running a powerful line off Craig Casey’s short pass to burst over. Crowley’s conversion attempt drifted wide.
After suffering a disallowed try when Jacob Stockdale pounced on a charged-down kick by Cian Prendergast who was ruled offside, Ireland’s replacements made a significant impact in the final quarter. In the 67th minute, substitute hooker Gus McCarthy benefited from a well-executed rolling maul following a precise lineout, scoring Ireland’s fourth try. Sam Prendergast, on for Crowley, missed the conversion from out wide.
Five minutes later, another replacement, Paddy McCarthy, marked his home debut with a try. After sustained pressure in the Japanese 22, the young prop showed good awareness to pick from the base of a ruck and power over the line from close range, with Prendergast adding the extras.
The final flourish came in the 76th minute with a counter-attacking gem. O’Brien brought Japanese winger Tomoki Osada to ground on halfway, before Ireland won turnover ball from the counter-ruck. Sam Prendergast reacted quickly, gathering the loose ball before delivering a perfectly timed one-handed offload back inside to the supporting O’Brien, who accelerated clear to score his first Test try on home soil. Prendergast’s conversion completed the scoring at 41-10.
After the match, man of the match O’Brien reflected on a much-improved second half performance: “We were disappointed with the result last week, and the performance. Felt like we didn’t really fire any shots, which was really disappointing because we had amazing support over there. This week, in front of a home crowd, we wanted to put a better performance together. ‘Faz’ talked at half-time about getting out of our own way, backing ourselves, and I think we did that pretty well in the second half.”
O’Brien also acknowledged that with several new faces in the team, some errors were inevitable: “Obviously there’s a few new guys coming into the team, so it’s always going to be the way (with mistakes). We’re building, we want to stress ourselves to play a nice expansive brand of rugby. Errors are going to come with that obviously, but hopefully as the games go on, we improve.”
For Japan, there were flashes of their trademark attacking enterprise, with fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki making one spectacular break in the second half that momentarily threatened the Irish defense. However, they lacked the stamina to capitalize on Ireland’s early vulnerabilities, fading noticeably in the final quarter.
With tougher tests against Australia and South Africa looming, Farrell will know his side needs more complete performances in the weeks ahead. However, the strong impact from the bench and improved second-half display provided encouraging signs.
Scorers:
Ireland: Tries: J Crowley, N Timoney, A Porter, G McCarthy, P McCarthy, T O’Brien; Cons: J Crowley (3), S Prendergast (2); Pen: J Crowley
Japan: Try: K Sato; Con: S Lee; Pen: S Lee
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