JOHN McKEE HAS called on Ireland to build on Saturday’s impressive 57-22 defeat of Japan in this weekend’s second Test, as Greg McWilliams’ squad look to finish an already memorable tour on a high.

Ireland rallied from 15-0 down in Shizuoka to record a brilliant nine-try victory, and now have an opportunity to claim a series win when the two sides meet again at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium this Saturday.

And former Fiji men’s head coach McKee – who is working with the group as technical advisor and forwards coach for the tour – has urged the squad to go one step further and make it two wins from two in Japan.

“Obviously it was very pleasing to get such a decisive win,” McKee said.

“I’ve been really impressed with the work ethic, the squad, the work that was put in with, initially, the group that was based in Ireland and when the girls from the UK came in as well.

“Although we were pretty comprehensive on the scoreline, they (Japan) are a dangerous team if you give them space, give them time to ride, but we’re able to contain them and use our physicality to not give them any opportunity basically.

“We will be better for another week together. We will be better with our combinations, probably a couple of things that broke down combination-wise we’ll improve on.

“I don’t doubt they’ll (Japan) get better as well and they will look for some options to exploit us.

We will be doing quite a bit of work on our defense this week, shoring up those connections but also we are wary that if we do give him the opportunity on the edges, they are pretty quick and can exploit that. So we’re we’re still working hard.

The team are very focused on the historic nature of this journey, the first overseas tour for the Irish Women’s 15 and to really make a mark, and we made a mark in the first game. To be really successful now, we need to make a mark in the second Test as well.”

Saturday’s result was all the more impressive given McWilliams handed out six new caps – including four starters – and McKee says the new-look team’s ability to overturn an early 15-0 deficit was particularly pleasing.

“There was good mental strength from our players to put their heads down and to keep fighting in that crucial time where we went behind on the scoreboard.

“I think the speed of the game in the first stanza probably caught us out a little bit.

“But you could see gaps in our defense in some areas, that’s partly led to some errors but also just the lack of combinations from not having played or trained very much together.”

Ireland’s nine-try haul included a hat-trick off the rolling maul by hooker Neve Jones, and McKee’s fingerprints were all over a strong performance by the forward pack.

“For me around the forwards, I was lucky enough to be working with quite an experienced group. Now we changed up a few things they did through the through the Six Nations and I think it’s strengthened us up.

“Certainly it gave a team like Japan that physical nature and the nature of our forward play paid dividends for us.

“The really exciting thing for me with this group is that it is such a young backline.

And to see such a new group of young players come in to play their first test for Ireland at this level at the ages of 18 and 19-years-old for a number of those backline players, and to not be daunted by the occasion, to actually be able to play well and bounce back from the early pressure and making their mark… I think that’s very good signs for the squad going forward.”

Ireland will have to plan without Nicole Cronin for Saturday’s second Test, with the 30-year-old ruled out as she follows the return to play protocols following a clash of heads in the first Test. Vicky Irwin, who debuted against Scotland in this year’s Six Nations, has been called up to the squad. 

– © AFP 2022 

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!