Islanders all at sea against Irish

THE IRFU subsidised Fiji’s visit to Lansdowne Road yesterday to the tune of 50,000. At the end of the nine try, 64-17 mauling of the hapless South Sea islanders, they must have wondered if they had would have been better off holding on to the money both in respect of their own weakening financial situation and to save their visitors from this latest humiliating defeat.

Any side capable of making Wales look good had to be cannon fodder for Ireland, even if yesterday's side was a combination of Ireland's first and second strings. The first half Fijian

defence or rather the lack of it was cruelly exposed by a fleet-footed Irish side full of fringe players who were never going to show any mercy as they tried to make a point to Eddie O'Sullivan and company.