Johnny Sexton marked his 100th cap for Ireland in style as he scored a try and pulled the strings in a dominant 60-5 Autumn Nations Series win over Japan in Dublin.
On a day with plenty to cheer for Irish fans, by far the loudest roar came when Sexton crashed over the line in the second half, although the reception he received from the Aviva Stadium crowd as he was taken off on 61 minutes following a job well done came close.
By the time of his departure, the talismanic fly-half had steered his side to a 41-5 advantage as James Lowe, Andrew Conway twice, Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki also dotted down.
Tries from Garry Ringrose and Cian Healy, as well as Conway completing his hat-trick, then took the score beyond a half-century as the hosts laid down a marker ahead of next Saturday’s mouth-watering clash against the All Blacks.
IRELAND OFF TO A FLYER
Japan would have been hoping to replicate the memorable victory they secured over Ireland at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, while even the contest between the sides over the summer was close – Andy Farrell’s men only prevailing 39-31 – but it was ultimately a one-sided contest from the off.
Ireland made the perfect start as they capitalised on an overlap down the blindside, with Aki bursting through a gap and shipping the ball to Lowe via Jack Conan – the winger pinning his ears back to slide over in the corner.
READ: World ranking permutations this weekend
Sexton gave a taste of things to come by nailing his first kick, the touchline conversion, before it was the boot of Gibson-Park that created a second try on 11 minutes.
Quick hands and neat offloading saw Ireland surge up to the Japan 22, where the scrum-half dummied the pass and then stabbed a precise diagonal grubber kick that bounced up perfectly for the onrushing Conway to collect and race over the whitewash.
Japan were showing their typical attacking dynamism with the limited possession they did have but Ireland continually disrupted the lineout and forced mistakes at the breakdown.
A monstrous driving maul from the hosts then set them up for try number three midway through the first half, as slick hands off the back shifted the ball to Conway who had the freedom of the Aviva Stadium for his second score, and Sexton added a penalty soon after.
At 22-0 down, the Brave Blossoms needed a foothold but although they stopped the flood for a short while, Gibson-Park surged over from Ringrose’s offload for another score and just before half-time, Atsushi Sakate was sin-binned as the fall-guy for persistent Japanese fouling on their own line.
JOHNNY’S MAGIC MOMENT
With the visitors down to 14 men for the start of the second period, Sexton marked his century with a 15th try for his country – barging over from crash ball off a lineout to a rapturous reception from the Dublin crowd.
The result may have already been in the bag but his beaming face as he got mobbed by his teammates showed what it meant to the 36-year-old.
Ireland didn’t stop there though, Aki neatly finishing off a scintillating 54th-minute team try in the corner that included unbelievable hands from both Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan in the build-up.
The Brave Blossoms finally got on the scoreboard just before the hour mark when Kazuki Himeno ran a great line and lofted the ball Siosaia Fifita to touch down out wide but after Sexton departed, replaced at No.10 by Joey Carbery, Ireland kicked on again.
Ringrose dotted down following a sharp burst with ten minutes remaining before Conway brought up 50 points, and his hat-trick, by pouncing on dithering in the Japan defence to grab a loose ball and flop over the line.
And fittingly, the hosts had the final word as they set up camp in the Japan 22 and Healy burrowed over from close-range as the clock seeped into the red.
