The first test of Ireland’s autumn internationals gets underway on Saturday at 1pm.
Ireland kick off their Autumn international series this weekend at home to Japan, as Andy Farrell’s side look to build towards the upcoming Six Nations campaign.
Farrell’s Ireland enjoyed a positive summer series, recording wins over the USA Eagles, and even Japan with a much-changed squad.
Keep scrolling for updates, TV and stream details and team news.
Ireland v Japan: How can I watch the game live on TV and stream it?
Ireland v Japan will be aired on RTE2 on Saturday afternoon – with coverage beginning at 12pm.
What is the form of both teams going into the game?
As mentioned, Ireland come into the game off the back of an encouraging summer window of games, where they saw off Japan in an Aviva Stadium thriller.
Andy Farrell’s side ran out 39-31 winners against the Brave Blossoms, while they also recorded a win over the USA Eagles.
This will, of course, be the first time that Ireland have played in front of a full capacity stadium since February 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit these shores.
?️ “We love playing against Japan, it’s the type of test we want.”
Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell has been looking ahead to Saturday’s #AutumnNationsSeries clash against @JRFURugby ?? ⤵️#TeamOfUs | #IrishRugby | #ShoulderToShoulder | #IREvJPN pic.twitter.com/k60moM10Ax
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 1, 2021
Japan, on the other hand, come into the game following on from a three-game losing run that they will be looking to bring an end to at the Aviva Stadium.
Granted, they only recently lost by nine points to Australia on October 23rd in a 32-23 classic on home soil.
Their two other defeats came against Ireland, and also versus the British & Irish Lions earlier on in the summer months.
What is the team news?
As far as team news goes for Ireland, and head coach Farrell, they seem to be in a fairly strong position ahead of this international window.
With games coming up against Argentina, and then the All Blacks, Robbie Henshaw is expected to be only absentee for Saturday’s game. Connacht winger Mack Hansen may also feature after being called up to the squad earlier this week.
Read More About: andy farrell, Autumn Internationals, ireland rugby, Ireland v Japan, japan rugby
