When is it on?
Ireland are playing Fiji at 3.10pm on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium in the Autumn Nations Series. It is the first Saturday game of the series after two Friday night encounters.
How can I watch it?
You can watch the game on Virgin Media One, coverage starts at 2.30pm. In the North, you can watch it on TNT Sports, with coverage from 3pm. You can also follow live coverage on the Irish Times website via a live blog.
What is the history between the two teams?
Although Fiji have never beaten Ireland in rugby, some games were closer than others, most notably in 2017 when Ireland won quite fortuitously by a 23-20 margin, while in 2002 Ireland put 64 points on Fiji in a match that saw Brian O’Driscoll equalling the try-scoring record. Fiji are considered a stronger team these days at ninth in the world rankings.
How has the Autumn Nations Series gone so far?
Ireland were disappointing in their opening game against New Zealand, losing 23-13 and their world number one spot in the process. They bounced back from that defeat to narrowly beat Argentina 22-19 last Friday.
For Fiji, it began with a sobering 57-17 defeat to Scotland, the most points they had conceded in a game for more than three years, but with a significant caveat as it fell outside the start of the November Test window, meaning they were without all bar one of their France- and England-based players.
[ Improved structure for domestic game means Fiji more potent than everOpens in new window ]
Back to full strength, they recovered with wins against Wales and Spain, building on their Pacific Nations Cup victory in the autumn.
Team news
Cian Healy is expected to lead out Ireland for his record Ireland cap, overtaking O’Driscoll in the record books, but wholesale changes are not expected as head coach Andy Farrell respects the challenge Fiji will pose. Tadhg Furlong missed the Argentina game through injury, and an update on his availability is expected early this week. Ryan Baird is an injury concern after coming off against Argentina.
The teams will be announced on Thursday, Farrell naming his team at 2pm.
Are tickets still available?
No, tickets are no longer available on general sale, only available if sold in the resale market.
What is the weather?
Showers are expected in the morning, but may clear up by kick-off time. It will be windy however, with gusts of up to almost 60km/h, which should make kicking tricky.
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