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More Japanese players than Irish in Best XV of opening World Cup weekend

Published 09:19 21 Sept 2015 BST

Patrick McCarry
More Japanese players than Irish in Best XV of opening World Cup weekend

Homerugby

No real complaints here, given the giantkilling nature of Japan's victory over South Africa.

The Brave Blossoms have three players in Midi Olympique's World Cup XV from the opening weekend of action. Eddie Jones' side stunned South Africa 34-32 to set the entire tournament on its heels. Ireland have two men in the best fifteen - Johnny Sexton and Sean O'Brien - but, somewhat bizarrely, there is no place for Iain Henderson. Joe Launchbury did well, for England, off the bench but the Ulster forward was one of the weekend's stand-out players. Another sub, Sonny Bill Williams, makes the cut. He sparked the All Blacks to life in the second half, against Argentina, but our [completely objective] vote would go to Luke Fitzgerald. No issues at all with the fullback choice - Mike Brown was the weekend's stand-out back. https://twitter.com/gavinmortimer7/status/645849590638493696

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More Japanese players than Irish in Best XV of opening World Cup weekend