The Green Machine were already celebrating their ticket as their Canadian hosts seemingly had run out of time in their bid to reel in a two-goal deficit.

The South American minnows, who were playing their first game of the tournament, condemned the Pacific Islanders to their second defeat in five days to leave their Pool D qualification hopes in tatters.

The five-try display means that the Irish did all they can to stay in the hunt but must now await the results of France v Argentina (5pm) and South Africa v New Zealand games this evening.

Towering Munster Academy lock Thomas Ahern will make his Ireland U20 debut in today’s final Pool B clash with Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Santa Fe (kick-off 2.30pm Irish time — live on eir Sport 1).

Ireland head coach Noel McNamara has been forced to make two changes for tomorrow's World Rugby under-20 Championship match against Australia.

Ireland U20s coach Noel McNamara insists his full focus is on the upcoming Junior World Cup despite suggestions that he could be a possible candidate for a role with Munster under Johann van Graan.

The party will be whittled down to 28 before departure for Santa Fe, via Amsterdam and Buenos Aires. Ireland face England, Australia and Italy in their pool: a tough task.

Over 5,500 tickets have been sold for the game at Musgrave Park, which kicks off at 7:15pm on Friday night.

It's a starting fifteen shot-through with senior provincial experience.

The Irish women’s team’s Olympic Games hopes received a huge boost as they were confirmed as one of the host nations for the next phase of qualifiers for Tokyo.

Joey Carbery suffered a suspected broken arm in Ireland's edgy 23-20 win over Fiji in Dublin.

Bring up the subject of Fijian rugby and the name Leone Nakarawa will not take to long to get an airing.

Kinsale’s Conor Harte has overcome a knock to take up a place in the Irish men’s squad for next month’s World League semi-final tournament in Johannesburg, the main qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.

WALES 23 FIJI 13: Warren Gatland insists he will remain a neutral spectator this weekend — even if Australia hold Wales’ immediate World Cup destiny in their hands against England at Twickenham.

England 35 Fiji 11: The trains weren’t running, the bars were overflowing, the stewards were next to useless and yet, at around 7pm yesterday evening, something rather strange happened in south-west London.

Irish U-20 coach Mike Ruddock believes his side can follow up on last year’s stunning opening day victory against South Africa by again laying down an early marker in the opening game of the Junior World Championship against Australia in Vannes this evening (5.45pm Irish time).

I CANNOT understand why the Government doesn’t hold a referendum on immigration.

IT appears that pension funds will not be sufficient due to the fact that elderly people are living longer.

LIONS duo Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy will form the centre partnership for Leinster in their Celtic Cup quarter-final clash with Glasgow on Friday night, (Lansdowne Road, 7.30pm).

Lansdowne 16 Buccaneers 17

I’M sick of the namby-pamby way the Government is treating Sinn Féin over the Northern Bank raid.

Co Carlow 21 Buccaneers 23

Buccaneers 18 Cork Constitution 12

THERE is much talk about trying to reduce alcohol consumption.

JUST two points regarding this economic miracle we are currently experiencing.

THE economy is booming, unemployment and inflation figures are at an all-time low and our Taoiseach is the undisputed king of Europe.

Cork Constitution will be slight favourites to beat Buccaneers in the All-Ireland League semi-final at Temple Hill on Saturday.

The Connacht team to play Harlequins in the first leg of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup semi-final at The Stoop on Sunday has been announced.

IRELAND assistant coach Declan Kidney could be bound for Belfast to take over as Director of Rugby at Ulster.

Connacht will this Friday bid to make it four wins from four visits to Scotland this weekend when they take on The Borders at Netherdale on Friday evening (7.30 pm).

CORK CONSTITUTION lost their unbeaten AIB League record and a bit more besides at Temple Hill on Saturday.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley and his assistant John McKee have made eight changes to the side to play Glasgow at the Sportsground on Saturday (ko 2.30pm).

The Connacht team to play Cardiff Blues at Dubarry Park on Saturday evening (7pm) shows seven changes from that which defeated Edinburgh at Meadowbank at the weekend.

The Connacht team to play Edinburgh on Friday night at Meadowbank shows eight changes from that which went down to Celtic Warriors at the weekend, as coach Michael Bradley and his assistant John McKee continue their squad rotation system.

The Connacht team to play Narbonne Saturday in the second leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final clash shows two changes from that which defeated the French in the first leg.

GIVING TDs a wage increase based on increased productivity seems to be an extremely difficult thing to evaluate.

I WAS just wondering if any of your readers spotted the connection between Minister John O’Donoghue’s demagogic attack on Pat Rabbitte regarding Joe Higgins and the continuing problems — transport, the economy, health — facing Fianna Fáil?

THERE was a report on the morning news on Sunday, August 31, regarding a South African woman who had gone missing.

MY complaint against RTÉ may be fairly minor, but I feel it may interest your readers, especially as the Government has just approved a licence fee increase.

Garryowen 9 Buccaneers 19

The Connacht squad announced today (Tuesday, August 6, 2002) for the upcoming Celtic League and Parker Pen Shield contains 24 players who have represented Ireland at underage or schools levels.