Rugby World Cup 2019: Ireland made to work for bonus-point victory over Russia

Ireland 35-0 Russia: Against a defensively stubborn Russian side, the second-lowest ranked team here in Japan, Schmidt’s men were made to work in typically humid conditions

After the humiliation of Shizuoka, a return to winning ways for Ireland. In a game that saw the men in green rarely tested, the Irish delivered a composed and controlled performance to comfortably beat Russia 35-0 underneath the bright lights of the Misaki Stadium.

It was the sort of result, earning the Irish a crucial bonus point, that head coach Joe Schmidt will have been eager to see following his side’s stunning defeat at the hands of Japan. Whereas Ireland had wilted under pressure in that match, here they made no such mistake, dictating the run of play from the first whistle to the last.

Nonetheless, there was still plenty to be desired of, with repeated handling errors and conceded turnovers, 23 in total, limiting Ireland’s ability to put together the flowing, piercing rugby with which they’ve terrorised opponents in the past. Against a defensively stubborn Russian side, the second-lowest ranked team here in Japan, Schmidt’s men were perhaps made to work harder than they should have been.

Injuries to Johnny Sexton and Joey Carbery will also reaffirm the impression that Ireland are not yet clear of the woods. Sexton, who captained his country for the first time, was removed at half-time and seen icing his thigh on the bench after the break. The versatile Carbery was due to cover scrum-half from the bench but never even made it that far, having picked up a possible recurrence of the ankle injury that almost kept him out of the tournament, while flanker Jordi Murphy also suffered a suspected rib problem.

The first half, at least, was clinically simple and effective in nature. A bright start saw Rob Kearney and Peter O’Mahony dive over in the space of 11 minutes as Ireland set about breaking the game line with ease, before man of the match Rhys Ruddock added a third.

For the first, the Russians were unpicked by a sly inside ball off Tadhg Beirne, with Kearney charging into the pocket of space and driving away from a cluster of red shirts to dive over. There had been questions of a crossover with Bundee Aki, but referee Jerome Garces was happy with the passage of play as Johnny Sexton kicked the extras.

The second came off the fly-half’s boot, a smart grubber kick sitting up nicely for O’Mahony five or so metres out from Russia’s white line, while the third was a pure distillation of Irish physicality. After softening up their opponents, the Irish forwards doing the heavy work down in the right corner, Rhys Ruddock eventually knocked down the door to make it 21-0.

But the second half made for a slightly different story. Play became stodgy and drawn out, with fumbled balls and a distinct lack of creativity creating for a dry spectacle. Even after Andrey Ostrikov had been sent to the bin – a second yellow for the Bears after Bogdan Fedotko suffered the same fate in the first half – Ireland still lacked the means to add to their earlier scores.

Russia’s iron wall, growing in conviction as the game wore on, certainly complicated matters. But it wasn’t until the Irish returned to the tactics of the first half that the flood gates were finally reopened.

Ireland’s Garry Ringrose tries to hold off Kirill Gotovtsev (Getty)

Jack Carty, on for Sexton, seized his opportunity on 63 minutes, dinking the ball over the top to release Keith Earls in behind. The wing was quick to make the offload to his counterpart, with Andrew Conway whizzing away to spark a late flourish for his side.

Garry Ringrose added the fifth and final try, finishing off a sweeping movement down the left flank, as Ireland made sure to close out the final 10 minutes in full control.

It was, in truth, far from perfect. But after the introspection and scrutiny of the Japan defeat, this will no doubt help to steady some nerves as Schmidt’s side look to wrap up qualification for the knockout stages. How such a performance will see them fare against their heavyweight rivals, though, remains to be seen.