FULL-TIME: IRELAND 35 FIJI 17
Not the best Ireland performance, a number of errors in a stop-start game that won’t live long in the memory. Two tries for Timoney and a good performance earned him man of the match. Fiji lacked discipline with a lot of penalties and a red card to Albert Tuisue very costly. Jiuta Wainiqolo stood out for the Pacific Islanders. A win is a win, and next up is Australia.
79 mins: Tadhg Beirne with another great turnover wins Ireland a penalty. One last attempt for a sixth try of the day ends up with Ireland losing the ball. Fiji then lose the ball, then Ireland knock the ball up. Sums up an error-prone match by both teams.
Ireland 35 Fiji 17
75 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Try number five. Veteran Cian Healy gets his 11th international try. Good break by Max Deegan and Healy finishes well. Crowley converts.
Ireland 35 Fiji 17
73 mins: Superb play by Nick Timoney after Fiji knock on and kicks low and long well into touch. Fiji have played reasonably well since their red card and Ireland have failed to take advantage. Dan Sheehan on for Ireland.
Ireland 28 Fiji 17
64 mins: TRY FOR FIJI! Brilliant run by Wainiqolo, who is electric in running through the Irish defence and a perfect one-handed layoff to Kuruvoli, who scores. Best try of the game so far. Converted by Volavola.
Ireland 28 Fiji 17
61 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Finally. Good scrum by Ireland, it’s Craig Casey to Hansen and it’s a try. Easily done with the numbers over after sharp work by Casey. Jack Crowley converts nicely.
Ireland 28 Fiji 10
59 mins: A tough watch, no score in this half and stoppages every minute it seems. Ireland have been error-prone and not taken advantage of the two-man advantage. A crossfield kick to O’Brien is overhit, after Baloucoune made a good break.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
52 mins: Yellow card for Fiji. Apisalome Ratuniyarawa punished. Simione Kuruvoli comes on at scrumhalf for Fiji for Lomani. Changes in the Ireland team, on come Cian Prendergast, Craig Casey and Tom O’Toole on. Twelve penalties against Fiji and down to 13 men. Twenty penalties in the game, Mathieu Raynal was been very busy. Referee has been prominent and the stop-start nature is killing the atmosphere at the Aviva.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
46 mins: RED CARD FOR FIJI. Volavola on for Tela at outhalf for Fiji. His first touch is blocked down by Ireland. Ireland win a penalty as Fiji’s Albert Tuisue shoulder Carbery firmly in the neck. Bad, high tackle and dangerous play. Indiscipline costs Fiji again.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
43 mins: Great break by Treadwell in Ireland’s first attack of the second half but Mack Hansen knocks on. Great break from the scrum-half Lomani from the scrum as Fiji pick up 50 metres, but a knock-on the other way. Scrum to Ireland.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
HALF-TIME: Ireland 21 Fiji 10
Ireland are ahead by 11 points at the break. It’s a deserved lead although the Irish team haven’t been free-flowing in what has been a stop-start encounter. Before the game Fiji’s Vern Cotter said he was looking to overcome their indiscipline but the Pacific Islanders have given away several penalties and had a yellow card. Fiji started the game very brightly but after consistent Irish pressure, will take being behind by just 11 points though heading into the second half.
40 mins: Ireland give away a penalty in the scrum. Fiji can’t get through in midfield and a great tackle by Tadhg Beirne completely turns over the ball. Mack Hansen plays grubber kick and Fiji knock it out for lineout. But penalty for Fiji for holding on. That will be the half.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
36 mins: Strong scrum by Ireland, but Fiji keep possession. Yet another penalty given away by Fiji and it’s back to a 5-yard lineout for Ireland. Another maul and Ireland possibly could have had a penalty try but get another penalty, then another advantage. Fiji managing to hold Ireland up for a number of phases, Conan puts the ball over but he was in touch and it’s disallowed.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
32 mins: Fiji giving away penalty after penalty but Saulo is back on after the yellow card. Ireland have a great chance of another try as Gibson-Park gives quick pass to Mack Hansen on the wing but he drops the ball and it’s a knock-on.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
29 mins: Scrum for Fiji after knock-on. Fiji distribute side to side but can’t get through and then give away penalty after great low tackle by Furlong, which Carbery puts into touch.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
26 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Great tackle by Doris sets up chance, Jimmy O’Brien makes good run and nearly gets over the line, then Jamison Gibson-Park makes great pass to Robert Baloucoune who gets over for try. TMO checks Jimmy O’Brien in the middle, but sticks with the call and it’s a try. Carbery converts beautifully from near the touchline.
Ireland 21 Fiji 10
24 mins: Fiji score penalty. Teti Tela scores easily after Ireland give it away carelessly from the restart.
Ireland 14 Fiji 10
22 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! From the resulting penalty, Ireland’s maul is too much for Fiji and Timoney gets his second try of the game. Easy try in the end. Ireland ahead for the first time. Carbery converts the penalty.
Ireland 14 Fiji 7
20 mins: Ireland win penalty in the middle of the pitch for obstruction. Carbery kicks into touch and another good chance for Ireland. A maul sees Ireland back at the five-yard line. Another good lineout and Herring and Furlong make ground... and Treadwell looked to have scored a try but brilliant hands on the ground by Levani Botia blocks the grounding. It’s back to a penalty for Fiji’s Manasa Saulo is given a yellow card.
Fiji 7 Ireland 7
15 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Fiji give away a penalty on advantage after Ireland broke through with Carbery playing a nice pass to Ringrose. Carbery kicks into the corner. Beirne wins the lineout clearnly and Timony breaks through. Ireland five yards from the line and power through after a number of phases with Nick Timoney. Converted by Carbery. Back level.
Fiji 7 Ireland 7
12 mins: Another offside, this time Jack Conan, Fiji take lineout from halfway. Ireland turn over the ball and run at the defence but again Fiji turn over the ball. Great offload and then Habosi breaks through again. But Fiji give away a penalty and Ireland get away with it again. A sloppy start.
Fiji 7 Ireland 0
7 mins: Ireland get their hand on the ball and kick to Fiji 5-yard line, but Rob Herring is offside from the resulting lineout, giving Fiji a reprieve. Timoney lucky to get away with a tackle, which could have been a yellow card.
Fiji 7 Ireland 0
4 mins: TRY FOR FIJI! Fantastic flowing rugby from Fiji as they easily get through the defence with swift passing. Habosi runs down the wing and plays it back and Ravouvou finishes easily. Teli converts the conversion.
In more bad news, Robbie Henshaw is off injured, on comes Garry Ringrose.
Fiji 7 Ireland 0
3 mins: Ireland give away an early penalty as Fiji turn over the ball in the middle of the pitch. Good line speed as Treadwell gets isolated. Teti Tella’s penalty drifts off to the left and wide.
Ireland 0 Fiji 0
Tadhg Furlong is captain today for the first time. He said he hankered after playing for Leinster, Ireland, and the Lions as a kid, but nowhere in the fluffy dreamland did that include captaining the national team. So, what did he dream of? “Spuds. Gravy. The mother’s Sunday roast.”
“It was never on the radar to be honest with you. And look, I know it’s for a game. I know it’s not captaining your country week-in, week-out, but it’s still a class feeling. I know from people back home; they’ll be very proud.”
[ Tadhg Furlong dreamed of spuds and gravy but is happy to accept Ireland captaincyOpens in new window ]
A great opportunity for Jimmy O’Brien to establish himself today, Gerry Thornley writes he is the most versatile Irish player around. “If he backs up last weekend’s display against Fiji on Saturday he’ll be the player who has made the most strides in the Irish pecking order this month.”
[ Jimmy O’Brien, the most versatile Irish player aroundOpens in new window ]
John O’Sullivan looks back at the four previous meetings between Ireland and Fiji. Ireland have won all four, but struggled against Fiji in 2017 and had a fortuitous victory, 23-20.
[ Ireland v Fiji, a look back on their four previous meetingsOpens in new window ]
The teams for today’s game:
Ireland: Jimmy O’Brien; Robert Baloucoune, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Mack Hansen; Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jeremy Loughman, Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong, Kieran Treadwell, Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris, Nick Timoney, Jack Conan.
Fiji: Seteriki Tuicuvu; Jiuta Wainiqolo, Waisea Nayacalevu, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Vinaya Habosi; Teti Tela, Frank Lomani; Eroni Maw, Samuel Matavesi, Manasa Saulo, Isoa Nasilasila, Ratu Leone Rotuisolia, Albert Tuisue, Levani Botia, Viliame Mata.
Fiji’s Vern Cotter is keen to overcome problems of inconsistency and ill-discipline but is pragmatic about his team’s chances against Ireland. He surmises that for Andy Farrell’s home side the match will “just be a training run.”
Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby smiled wryly when informed of Cotter’s comments. “I take that with a pinch of salt. We’re showing as much respect to this Fijian side as we would to any team.”
[ Fiji’s Vern Cotter keen to overcome problems of inconsistency and ill-disciplineOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland v Fiji at the Aviva Stadium. Kick-off is at 1pm.
Sandwiched between last week’s bruiser with the Springboks and the Wallabies next week, this mightn’t look like the meatiest of Ireland’s triple-decker of Nations Series games but its importance will not be lost on any of those playing, writes Gerry Thornley in the preview to the game.
“This side contains 15 of last week’s matchday squad, including the added insurance of Dan Sheehan and Garry Ringrose, and has been reinforced by the return of Robbie Henshaw.
“These countries have only met seven times, but most recently Ireland’s edgy 23-20 win here in 2017 did not set careers on fire. A dozen of the matchday squad had five caps or less, compared to nine who fall into that category this time.”
[ Improving Fiji should provide relevant trial for IrelandOpens in new window ]
