Japan defeat Ireland in fantastic Rugby World Cup match. Video / Spark Sport
It looked like Joey Carbery made a grave error when he kicked the ball straight into touch with time up on the clock to end Ireland's chances of avoiding defeat to Japan – but he may have ended up saving his country's World Cup campaign.
Down 19-12, Ireland recovered the ball on their own try-line following a Japanese knock-on with no time left. The next stoppage of the game would end the contest. Fans were screaming for Carbery to pass the ball wide and try to start a counter-attack that might lead to a converted try, enough for Ireland to salvage a draw and avoid one of the biggest Rugby World Cup shocks of all time.
But instead, Carbery simply dropped back into the pocket and booted the ball into touch. Social media was quick to react and pan Carbery either for a lack of belief or game awareness, but the 23-year-old may have made the perfect decision when looking at the bigger picture.
With no possibility of a win, and a draw in the group stages only worth two points, Ireland would have been risking sacrificing their losing bonus point with only one more point available, hardly a worthy reward for attempting to carry the ball the length of the pitch without a single stoppage.
Carbery said he had known time was up and was keen to hold onto his side's losing bonus point.
"I suppose we were under pressure and there wasn't too much happening at the time," explained the Munster man. "The ball kinda came quickly to me.
Joey Carbery reacts after his last-minute blunder. Photo / Getty
"I knew we were still in with a losing bonus point and I didn't see too many other options on, so I just put it out."
Some felt Ireland should have continued to search for a way to rescue the result but while Carbery believed his forwards could produce more work-rate, he couldn't quite see a way to the other end of the pitch.
"I definitely think we could have [kept going] but when the ball came to me, they were up in my face. I didn't want want to risk it with a short kick or anything like that and concede [another try].
"I haven't looked back at it yet but at the time, I thought it was the right option."
His head coach, Joe Schmidt, supported that decision.
"Potentially the bonus point could be really important," said Schmidt. "It means that we've got six points from our two pool games so far, Japan have got nine and Samoa have got five. So they're the ones who've got points so far and you've got to finish in the top two.
"So, keeping that bonus point allowed us to stay in front of Samoa in the short-term and we know that Scotland will be a player and Russia will line us up in five days' time."
Carbery got the final quarter off the bench as Ireland attempted to save themselves in Shizuoka, having gone behind to Kenki Fukuoka's 59th-minute try, and his sense was that Japan "suffocated" Ireland's attempts to attack.
"Our discipline let us down as well," said Carbery. "We were in good parts of the pitch but dropped the ball or [conceded] a penalty here and there.
If Japan win all their remaining games, they will finish top of their pool. With games against Samoa and Scotland to come, they have every possiblity of doing so.
It does mean, however, that Ireland could now finish second, setting up a mouthwatering quarter final clash against the All Blacks.
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