The Brave Blossoms play at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, November 8, 2025 and face a new-look Ireland team that lost to the All Blacks in Chicago last weekend and is seeking to put the Japanese to the sword.
Feature Photo Credit – JRFU
Japan themselves were handed another heavy defeat against a top-tier nation as the Springboks beat them comfortably in London, as they conceded 9 tries in a 7-61 defeat.
The match will be the tenth match between the two, and Japan’s only win was over Ireland in the pool stage at RWC 2019.
Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones said in the wake of the loss last weekend, “It was a tough old day. We got beaten in some key areas of the game, and any ball we did get was in a very negative situation and so we struggled to get into the game.
It shows that there is a big gap between where South Africa is and where we are. But for this young team, it’s an experience you don’t want to have, but you need to have, to realise how big a gap it is. So now we have to pick ourselves up and get ready for Ireland.”
Ben Gunter, who has had a good season for the Japanese, was yellow-carded in the loss in London, and explained, “Japan has become capable of competing against the world’s strongest teams, and I believe that pushing ourselves even harder and growing by competing against stronger teams is what is required and essential from now on.
We can expect that our next opponent will play out differently, but I believe that it is extremely important to learn and grow through these matches. With each match, we are gaining confidence and feeling that we are growing. We would like to aim to reach the top four by always taking on the best and strongest teams and challenging boldly.”
The side is without Tiernan Costley, who was withdrawn from the squad following the match against South Africa, but the big inclusion in the matchday 23 against Ireland is that of Toulouse-based Naoto Saito at scrum-half, who will earn his 26th cap. He will partner Seungsin Lee at fly-half, and they will come up against Craig Casey and Jack Crowley as the Irish half-back pairing.
Jones has stuck to a similar side that lost to the Springboks. The back row sees one change with Faulua Makisi coming in from the bench for Michael Leitch, who himself starts from the bench. In the second row, Epineri Uluiviti comes in and starts alongside captain Warner Dearns. Uluiviti was in the Japan XV team, which beat Hong Kong China recently.
Elsewhere on the bench, Sam Greene is replaced by Toyota Verblitz’s utility back Shinya Komura, who is set to make his debut.
Jones added, “While set piece will always be a factor, the two big contest areas will be the aerial contest and the breakdown contest. That’s fairly consistent in rugby at the moment. The ability to win back-to-back possession between winning a contest kick puts you in a good field position from which to attack. Then you have to generate a quick ruck ball to break down defences. For both teams, those will be the key areas of the game this weekend.”
For Ireland, the Head Coach Andy Farrell will be under increasing pressure to blood new talent two years out from RWC 2027, but can ill afford losses. He has made eight changes to the starting line-up from the loss to New Zealand in Chicago.
He said of this weekend’s match, “Saturday presents us with an opportunity to play in front of a packed Aviva Stadium. Playing at home is a privilege that we never take lightly, and it’s the start of an exciting three weeks of games as we look to build momentum.”
In terms of other notable player selections, Caelan Doris captains the side, and Munster’s Tom Farrell will make his Test debut.
The Irish Head Coach said of Japan, “It will be a battle against a Japanese side that plays the game in a positive manner and will look to ask questions of us. From our side, we will look to be sharp and implement our game plan, and we’re preparing for a big test.”
Match Permutations – Japan vs Ireland
- Ireland can not improve their ranking if they beat Japan.
- If Japan win, their ranking should improve but it will depend on the other results this weekend – both Wales and Georgia are in action too.
Japan Brave Blossoms Squad vs Ireland
See more about the Matchday squad here.
Ireland Squad vs Japan Brave Blossoms
International Rugby XV News
