Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

Social media reacts as Japan beat Ireland in huge Rugby World Cup shock

Ireland have been stunned at the Rugby World Cup after the hosts Japan pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever seen in the sport.

Joe Schmidt's side were the heavy favourites after an opening win over Scotland and early tries from Garry Ringrose and Rob Kearney seemed to have them in cruise control.

But Japan were always dangerous with the ball in hand and three penalties saw them go in at the break just three points at 12-9 to Ireland.

And incredibly Ireland never scored another point as the host nation kept up a relentless pace of play in the suffocating heat of the Shizuoka Stadium.

Ireland looked out on their feet for long periods and in the end they struggled to hold on to losing bonus point as Japan won 19-12 to repeat their shock victory over South Africa four years ago.

And social has been awash with people struggling to believe what they are seeing:

If you haven't already, be sure to like our Irish Mirror Sport and Irish Mirror GAA pages on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.                                                        

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.