In the stands, Joe Schmidt looked like a man who’d just heard how his Anglo Irish Bank shares were doing. Ireland haven’t turned out to be the new All Blacks any more than Bulgaria turned out to be the new Tuscany. The Irish defence line wait for Japan to play a pass during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Japan and Ireland at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Shizuoka on September 28, 2019. International Rugby NewsletterIrish hopes of exiting Japan without further disgrace now rest with the Scots, so readily mocked a week ago. Should Japan beat Scotland, Ireland face a meeting with the All Blacks, which could turn out very embarrassing indeed.

Source: Irish Independent September 28, 2019 20:15 UTC