The Irish lacrosse team's preparations for the World Championships escalated today as it took on Japan in a scrimmage held at Colorado Academy in the Lakewood section of Denver.

The Japan team are currently ranked 5th in the world and are known for their skill right throughout the team. Even more noteworthy is their fitness and agility, and so it was an excellent test for the Irish team to see how it might respond to the challenge of matching-up against such a highly athletic team in the demanding high altitude of Denver.

The scrimmage began at a frenetic pace with opportunities at both ends of the field. Kevin Owens, Tom Burke, Mike McTernan and Brian Gillis showed hot hands at the offensive end, notching a few goals between them. The Japanese responded in kind however by converting a number of opportunities, with the contest concluding with a victory for the Japanese by a single goal.

It was a tight game throughout though, which bodes well for an Irish team looking to make a significant jump up from its current 9th place world ranking. The Irish team takes on Austria in an exhibition game on Tuesday evening, and following that, will have the privilege of playing a scrimmage against the 4th-ranked Iroquois Nationals on Wednesday afternoon. The opening ceremonies for the tournament take place on Thursday evening, and Ireland's opening game of the tournament is against Uganda on Friday.