Eight-try Ireland show adaptability in convincing victory over Fiji

A better disciplinary performance from Ireland would have been one of Andy Farrell's key objectives but an early yellow card for fly-half Prendergast, guilty of a cynical no-arms block on Fijian flanker Kitione Salawa, hinted at lessons not learned.

Ireland's Ciaran Frawley and Sam Prendergast during the victory over Fiji. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Autumn Nations Series: Ireland 52 Fiji 17

Gus McCarthy and Sam Prendergast helped Ireland score a dominant victory over Fiji in a game to remember at Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The two 21-year-olds, starting at hooker and fly-half respectively, were front and centre as Ireland won by eight tries to two, McCarthy scoring one of them and having a hand in three others, while Prendergast made another and kicked four conversions from five attempts.

Skipper Caelan Doris, Josh Van Der Flier, Craig Casey and Mack Hansen had helped Ireland to a 28-3 halftime lead, with Casey kicking one of those conversions when Prendergast was off the field for an early yellow card. Bundee Aki, Gus McCarthy, Hansen again, and Ronan Kelleher added four more after the break.

 

Farrell had fielded a starting line-up showing seven changes from the previous weekend’s 22-19 win over Argentina, handing debuts to 21-year-old Leinster academy hooker McCarthy and Ulster blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, 24, while including Jamie Osborne at full-back for his first home start and promoting Prendergast to the number 10 jersey after an assured first cap off the bench eight days previously.

Jacob Stockdale earned his first cap in 15 months on the left wing, while Casey got his first outing of the month at scrum-half and Aki was restored at inside centre after being dropped following the All Blacks defeat on November 8.

Ireland's Bundee Aki, Craig Casey and Gus McCarthy celebrate Caelan Dorris' try. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

When Fiji last visited Dublin in November 2022, Ireland’s head coach had made nine changes from the previous week and saw his side flattered by a 35-17 winning scoreline but was looking for a more cohesive performance two years on, despite the potentially disruptive selection. Top of his priority list was a tighter disciplinary outing for Doris’s team, which had conceded 13 penalties in each of their last two Tests.

On the eve of the match Doris had pointed directly to that indiscipline as the reason for Ireland’s failure to score in the second half against both New Zealand and Argentina. Yet although their attacking groove was evident in the opening 40 as they took a 28-3 interval lead, an early yellow card for fly-half Prendergast, guilty of a cynical no-arms block on Fijian flanker Kitione Salawa hinted at lessons unlearned.

Doris had already opened the scoring with a well-worked move off a lineout maul on four minutes, collecting an inside pass from debutant McCarthy, who had peeled around the back of the maul and carried over the five-metre line. Ireland also scored in Prendergast’s spell in the sin bin, as they struck from a five-metre tap penalty, the rookie hooker delivering a pass out the back to his captain whose short pass to an onrushing Josh van der Flier left Fiji chasing shadows, Casey kicking the conversion for a 14-0 on 15 minutes.

The hooker was central to Ireland’s third as the home side got more mileage from their lineout drive, McCarthy peeling off the back and offloading in contact to Casey, who delivered the try with an acrobatic leap into the corner on the half-hour mark, with fly-half Prendergast adding his second conversion for a 21-3 lead, Caleb Muntz having got Fiji up and running with an 18th-minute penalty.

Ireland were cruising without getting out of third gear, denying Fiji territory and possession for long periods and providing the perfect platform for their new wave of players to settle into Test rugby.

Sam Prendergast took full advantage to deliver Ireland’s fourth try of the first half, on the stroke of half-time dispatching an inch-perfect crossfield kick pass to the right corner, for an unmarked Mack Hansen to catch and dive over to give the home side a healthy 25-point lead heading into the second half.

It hadn’t all been plain sailing for the newcomers, aside from Prendergast’s early yellow card. Gus McCarthy, who had been close to tears during the anthems, had a couple of lineout throwing wobbles while Izuchukwu was denied a maiden try on debut when the pass he received from Mack Hansen was deemed forward. Furthermore, Osborne was forced off for a head injury assessment on 27 minutes from which he did not return, Ciaran Frawley slotting in at full-back in his stead.

Yet it was an otherwise satisfactory opening 40 for Farrell’s men that continued after the break as Aki broke the second-half scoring hoodoo with a try on 46 minutes. With the lead extended further at 35-3, Ireland emptied the majority of their bench, even the ever-durable loosehead Andrew Porter making way to give converted tighthead Tom O’Toole gametime on that side of the front row.

There was an enforced change when the impressive Stockdale was forced off after pulling up in the build-up to Aki’s try, bringing on scrum-half Conor Murray as an auxiliary wing. The changes undoubtedly gave Fiji the opportunity to finally cross the whitewash on 54 minutes, Salawa catching Ireland napping at the side of a ruck five metres out and Muntz converting.

It did not take Ireland long to regather momentum, however, with Murray denied a try in the left corner due to a forward pass from Frawley before they once again profited from their maul, Gus McCarthy grabbing a try on debut to cap a memorable day at the Aviva. Sam Prendergast, whose older brother and back-rower Cian was introduced on 47 minutes, slotted the conversion, his fourth of the afternoon, to put Ireland into a 42-10 lead only for to Fiji hit back a minute later through replacement Setareki Turagacoke

Turagacoke's matchday experience quickly turned sour when he was yellow-carded soon after for diving over the ruck to tackle Casey and Ireland pounced again through Hansen, the conversion from Prendergast making it 47-17 on 64 minutes.

With Murray on the left wing, fly-half replacement Frawley at full-back and Tom O’Toole at loosehead, Ireland’s adaptability was further tested with the introduction of final replacement, hooker Ronan Kelleher on for centre and try-scorer Aki. The game finished with starting hooker Gus McCarthy as a flanker and Doris at centre.

It did not stop Ireland adding a seventh try, delivered by the recently arrived Kelleher to bring up a half-century of points to complete a dominant performance that will send them into their final game of the international window in high spirits, Joe Schmidt’s Australia next up at the Aviva in seven days.

IRELAND: J Osborne (C Frawley, 27 - HIA); M Hansen, R Henshaw (S McCloskey, 47), B Aki (R Kelleher, 74), J Stockdale (C Murray, 49); S Prendergast, C Casey; A Porter (T O’Toole, 47), G McCarthy, F Bealham (T Clarkson, 47); J McCarthy, T Beirne; C Izuchukwu (I Henderson, 50), J van der Flier (C Prendergast, 47), C Doris – captain.

Yellow card: S Prendergast 8-18 mins 

FIJI: V Karawalevu; J Wainiqolo, W Nayacalevu - co-captain (V Botitu, 60), J Tuisova, P Loiganimasi; C Muntz, F Lomani (P Matawalu, 22); E Mawi (H Hetet, 50), T Ikanivere - co-captain (S Matavesi, 50), L Tagi (S Tawake, 40); M Vocevoce, T Mayanavanua (S Turagacoke, 58); R M Derenalgi (A Tuisue, 58), K Salawa (H Hetet, 22-29 – FR YC rep), E Canakaivata.

Yellow card: E Mawi 19-29 mins; S Turagacoke 66-76 

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)