Clash with Fiji the real thing for Foley

There might not be any caps on offer this Saturday when an Ireland 15 takes on Fiji at Thomond Park but do not expect Anthony Foley to prepare his players to anything less than Test match intensity.

To outsiders, the non-Test status of this game and it’s outsourcing from Dublin 4 to Limerick points to a natural lull in the series of Ireland’s autumn internationals — a diet offering between the high-carb, high protein fare provided by the visits of South Africa and Argentina to the Aviva Stadium.

Except no one has told Ireland’s temporary defence coach, who expects the Fijians to also have ignored the memo.