Ireland beat Japan 36-20 to claim Nations Championship bonus point

Debutant back-rower Sean Jansen scored as a heavily rotated Ireland defeated Japan 36-20 in New South Wales to record a second successive bonus-point victory in the Nations Championship.

The New Zealand-born number eight marked his international bow with a crucial second-half try to help break down a resilient Brave Blossoms outfit.

The Connacht forward crashed over the line 10 minutes after the restart to reward the European heavyweights for their sustained attacking pressure.

His powerful effort added to earlier first-half scores from Nick Timoney, Tom O’Toole and Robbie Henshaw.

Japan threaten shock upset under returning Jones

Eddie Jones was back on the touchline for the Asian side following a recent suspension, and his squad fought tenaciously to stay in the contest.

An early try from winger Taira Main, combined with eight points from the boot of full-back Takuro Matsunaga, kept the underdogs within a single converted try at the interval.

The prospect of a rare Japanese victory looked plausible when replacement prop Hayate Era powered over the whitewash with just 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

That timely score reduced the deficit and gave the Japanese faithful hope of achieving only a second win over the men in green in 12 historic meetings.

Late surge ensures Farrell’s winning streak continues

However, the Irish squad demonstrated their superior composure to successfully close out the physical fixture in the final quarter.

Replacement fly-half Harry Byrne stepped up to stretch the advantage to nine points via a well-struck penalty.

Hooker Tom Stewart then applied the finishing touches in the final minute, dotting down to guarantee a sixth consecutive Test match victory for Andy Farrell’s side.