Here is all you need to know about Sunday’s clash. When and where? Ireland face Japan in their opening pool C game at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, with kick-off at 12.0 noon. Ireland trained on Wednesday, with Aoife Wafer the notable absentee, as the Premiership-bound back-row continues to recover from knee surgery. The Wexford native is expected to miss Ireland’s opening two pool games against Japan and Spain (Sunday August 31), but Bemand will hope that Wafer is available for their crucial final pool game against New Zealand on Sunday September 7. Co-captain Edel McMahon trained with the rest of the squad on Wednesday after missing both Ireland’s warm-up games due to a knee injury. There are no other fresh injury concerns for Bemand ahead of the team announcement on Friday. History between the sides Ireland sit six places above Japan in the world rankings, and they have a good record with six wins in their last seven meetings against the Sakura. Ireland toured Japan in 2022. In their first game, Ireland recorded a 57-22 victory with a side featuring debutants Dannah O’Brien and Aoife Dalton, before Japan tied the series the following week. At the 2014 World Cup, Ireland survived a big scare at the UCD Bowl when they recovered from a 14-0 deficit at half-time to win, on the way to a historic fourth-place finish. Scott Bemand’s side will be keen to avoid the same fate of their male counterparts, who fell to a shock defeat to Japan in the 2019 World Cup. Is it on tv? The game will be live on RTÉ 2, with coverage underway from 11.30am.