Rugby World Cup: Japan make history, Ireland hammer Canada

Sport360 staff 22:22 19/09/2015
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  • Sensational: Japan's Kame Hesketh scores the winning try.

    Japan pulled off one of the biggest shocks in Rugby World Cup history on Saturday beating South Africa 34-32.

    Karne Hesketh scored a desperate last minute try to stun the Springboks.

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    Ayumu Goromaru scored 24 points including an brilliant try as Japan, who had only won one previous game at the World Cup, fought tirelessly to pull off a tournament sensation.

    Six Nations champions Ireland kicked off their World Cup Pool D campaign with a resounding bonus-point 50-7 victory over Canada on Saturday.

    Ireland, superior to Canada in every facet of the game after a tight opening quarter of an hour, notched up four first-half tries through Sean O’Brien, Iain Henderson, Jonathan Sexton and David Kearney, three converted by Sexton.

    The first three of those tries came when Canada captain Jamie Cudmore had been yellow carded for a ruck infringement, and left the Canucks with too big a mountain to climb at 29-0 down at half-time at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

    Sean Cronin crossed for Ireland’s fifth try before DTH Van Der Merwe grabbed a consolation for Canada.

    Rob Kearney and Jared Payne and Henderson then put the icing on the Irish cake with two late tries, replacement Ian Madigan kicking three conversions of his own.

    The result was a severe warning to Pool D rivals France and Italy who play later Saturday.

    Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze led his country to just their third World Cup win with a 17-10 upset success over Tonga in their Pool C opener at Kingsholm, Gloucester.

    A record-breaking day for the east Europeans also saw their 18-year-old scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze become the youngest player in World Cup history.

    Georgia, competing at their fourth World Cup, had only previously enjoyed wins at the showpiece tournament with a 30-0 success over Namibia in 2007 and a 25-9 defeat of Romania four years ago in New Zealand.

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