Andy Farrell faces a selection headache ahead of 150th Anniversary game against Australia

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell faces selection headaches ahead of the 150th Anniversary game against Australia - a good position to be in ahead of the special game.

IN A GOOD PLACE: Ireland head coach Andy Farrell squad are in a good place as his faces a selection headache ahead of 150th Anniversary game against Australia. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Autumn Nations Series: Ireland 52 Fiji 17

Having got their groove back at Fiji’s expense, Ireland will head into their final game of 2024 this Saturday with confidence enhanced that they have the weapons to halt the gathering momentum being generated by Australia under Joe Schmidt.

It took a while. This month’s Autumn Nations Series has been a slow burner, starting with a distinctly lacklustre, error-strewn opening defeat to New Zealand before an improved but patchy performance to hang on for victory over Argentina.

Saturday’s big win over Fiji finally lit the flames for Ireland supporters as their team, much changed and featuring plenty of inexperience in its ranks, blew the islanders away with eight tries spread across an impressively consistent 80 minutes at Aviva Stadium.

It was a performance that banished a variety of sins from those previous outings, not least Ireland’s penalty count finally dropping into single digits, eight compared to 13 each in the previous fortnight’s Tests. That allowed Andy Farrell’s team to end their second-half scoring problems with four of those tries coming after the interval, having failed to add points beyond the 43rd and 33rd minute respectively against the All Blacks and Pumas.

And what good tries they were, executed in all manner of fashions, including a welcome return of an effective driving maul.

It was not perfect of course, Test rugby tends not to produce those, however under-par the opposition, and an early yellow card for fly-half Sam Prendergast in his first Ireland start and some initial lineout wobbles from debutant hooker Gus McCarthy did not augur well.

That both 21-year-olds recovered admirably and impressively to put in assured performances, as did Ireland’s other debutant, flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, underlines what a successful evening it was for the head coach, and how difficult a selection process it will be to put out a team to mark the IRFU’s 150th anniversary in style, defeat old boss Schmidt’s revitalised Wallabies and end the year on a high.

Certainly the three aforementioned newcomers have staked a claim to further involvement, McCarthy completing his rapid rise from Blackrock College’s Leinster Schools Cup winning-captain to Ireland Test starter while still a Leinster academy player, with a stellar outing against the Fijians. His second-half try, from a lineout drive, was the icing on the cake after three influential try assists showcased his power in the loose, deft hands and an innate sense of choosing the best option open for his team.

Izuchukwu, 24, looked more than comfortable at blindside flanker and lineout operator, including one steal of Fijian ball, made for another accomplished debut, spoiled only by being denied a maiden try after a forward pass from double try-scorer Mack Hansen.

While Prendergast looked to the manor born at number 10, his 80-minute performance applying serious pressure to rival Jack Crowley a week after he replaced the Munster playmaker for a 19-minute debut against Argentina.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s good. It’s exactly what we want,” Farrell said as relished the pending selection headaches.

“We’ve got a big game coming up, it’s what you’d hope for. If it was easy with a big game coming up, then it would probably mean your squad’s not in good health.” 

It is certainly in rude health at fly-half and Farrell confirmed Prendergast had put himself in contention to start against the Aussies this Saturday.

“Yeah but we’ll do what’s right for the team. That’s what we have to do. He played really well. Jack did as well, didn’t he, the other day, so we’ve a few selection headaches, that’s for sure.” 

Skipper Caelan Doris, Josh Van Der Flier, Craig Casey and Mack Hansen had helped Ireland to a 28-3 half-time lead, with Casey kicking the second of those conversions when Prendergast was in the sin bin awaiting what would turn out to be a favourable and fortunate red-card bunker review. Bundee Aki, McCarthy, Hansen, and Ronan Kelleher added four more tries after the break, much to the Ireland boss’s pleasure.

The best feature of his team’s performance, Farrell said, was: “The composure we showed throughout to score some lovely tries.

“There was a good mixture wasn’t there, as far as the maul is concerned, set-piece and we played some nice rugby with overlaps. We played through them or around them from our kicking game etc, so it was a nice mix to get a big scoreline.

“Everyone was expecting a tough game because of the way Fiji have been playing, so we’ll take that scoreline as well.” 

As ever, Farrell was left wanting more, not least in attack where Ireland had two tries disallowed by referee Hollie Davidson for forward passes and squandered other opportunities through unforced errors.

"It's tough because they're flying at you from all over the place. We stayed calm enough to see the picture because what you see five seconds ago, it changes on the run.

“We were composed enough, it just was the final ball a couple of times it was rushed . There was from Mack, one from Josh, one from Frawls. There were three tries which we left out there.” 

It all nicely sets up the visit of Schmidt’s Australia and Ireland’s final game under Farrell before his British & Irish Lions sabbatical gets underway in December. The head coach is looking forward to it.

“The best is yet to come. It has to be,” he said.

“We're playing against a buoyant Australian side that play some really nice rugby, but the week's going to be a special one for us. It's going to be a marked game for the 150th anniversary. We talk a lot about the shirt and what it means for us. It's going to be a big week coming up.” 

IRELAND: J Osborne (C Frawley, 27); 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)