Baloucoune and O'Brien at the double as Ireland see off stubborn Fiji
Tommy O'Brien and Rob Baloucoune both scored two tries as Ireland beat Fiji. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Ireland saw off a stubborn Fijian side with a bonus-point victory to keep pace with their Northern Hemisphere rivals at the top of the Nations Championship standings in Dublin on Saturday night.
Andy Farrell’s side will turn their focus immediately to the visit of world champions South Africa to Aviva Stadium next Saturday as they bid to secure as high a seeding as possible for the finals weekend in Twickenham the following weekend but Ireland will know they have been in a battle despite the convincing scoreline.
Two tries apiece from wings Rob Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien led the charge, with further scores from hooker Ronan Kelleher, prop Andrew Porter and No.8 Nick Timoney with Sam Prendergast’s three conversions and one more from Ciaran Frawley completing the home scoring but it took an hour of this intense physical encounter to earn some breathing space from a galvanised Fiji side.
France’s victory over the Springboks in Paris on Friday night and England’s 13-try demolition of Japan in a 78-15 bonus-point win earlier on Saturday had made maximum points a priority for Ireland ahead of the late kick-off as they attempted to keep pace with the top two in the Northern Hemisphere table heading into the last round of matches before the seeded finals weekend at Twickenham on November 27-29.
Fiji had been the first team to fall to the French, 56-17 the previous Saturday, though the scoreline did not reflect the problems Jake White’s islanders caused the Six Nations champions.
The problems were now Ireland’s as they failed to build on an early lead. Fiji’s physicality had seen Jamie Osborne withdrawn after just four minutes following some heavy contact but wing Tommy O’Brien, one of seven changes to the side which started the 42-12 victory over Argentina eight days earlier, put the home side in front on eight minutes. It was a smartly worked score, the back three combining with fluency as right wing Rob Baloucoune fed full-back Mack Hansen, who in turn supplied the final pass to the left corner where O’Brien ran in unopposed, Sam Prendergast converting from close to the touchline.
Ireland then saw a Jamison Gibson-Park try on 15 minutes overturned after a TMO check for a knock-on by the scrum-half during his grounding and Fiji made the most of the let-off. They were afforded an easy entry into the home half after the Irish backs advanced prematurely at a Fijian lineout on halfway and Ben Volavola’s kick to the corner set up a maul which provided the platform for a try from Racing 92 powerhouse centre Josua Tuisova following a big carry from captain Peceli Yato. Volavola missed the conversion but Fiji took the lead regardless, Yato shrugging off an injury to receive an offload from Lyon wing Jiuta Wainiqolo to crash over for a second try in four minutes in the 22nd minute, with the conversion sticking this time for a 12-7 lead.
Ireland were denied again when a dive for the line by No.8 Nick Timoney was deemed held up by TMO Mike Adamson on 28 minutes but Farrell’s men drew level a minute later. Fly-half Sam Prendergast caused panic in the Fijian defence with a kicked high ball which saw his side regain the loose ball before Baloucoune received the ball on the right to round the last defender and score. Prendergast, who had impressed off the kicking tee with five conversions from five against Argentina, missed the kick to leave the sides level at 12-12 and then it was Fiji’s turn to be denied by a TMO ruling, Scotland’s Adamson advising referee Angus Gardner that prop Luke Tagi’s score would not stand due to a knock-on at the preceding lineout.
This time it was Ireland’s opportunity to profit, Gibson-Park’s pass to Osborne’s early replacement Stuart McCloskey who fed his Ulster team-mate Baloucoune for his second try of the half, a minute before the interval. Again the conversion was missed and Fiji closed the half by narrowing the gap with a Volavola penalty. Captain Tadhg Beirne had been warned by referee Gardner after an earlier concession of three penalties in a row, and it was the skipper’s failure to roll away which earned a yellow card at the interval, though not before the official had mistakenly sin-binned fellow lock James Ryan.
It was Beirne on the naughty step as the second half resumed with his side holding a narrow 17-15 lead but Ireland did not wait for the captain to return to the field before extending their advantage, hooker Rónan Kelleher peeling off a maul from five metres out to power over for the try bonus point on 46 minutes.
When Beirne did return he was accompanied by a couple of replacements, tighthead Sam Illo and Test debutant back-rower James McNabney, who replaced Timoney at No.8.
It was an impactful first taste of international rugby, McNabney finding a gap in the Fijian defence for a break into the 22 and then carrying again to reach the tryline, only to be knocked out cold by direct head contact from tighthead replacement Inoke Ravuiwasa.
That saw McNabney removed for a Head Injury Assessment, his assailant yellow carded and Andrew Porter claiming Ireland’s fifth try of the night from the resulting tap penalty from the five-metre line.
Ireland had finally earned some breathing room with Prendergast’s conversion sending them into a 29-15 lead after 53 minutes and that extending by another seven points six minutes later when Tommy O’Brien scored his second of the match, touching down a wonderful diagonal grubber kick from the outside of his fly-half’s right boot to the left corner. The number 10 completed the conversion from wide out in his final act before making way for Ciarán Frawley on the hour mark, Ireland holding a 36-15 lead.
M Hansen; R Baloucoune, J Osborne (S McCloskey, 4), B Aki, T O’Brien; S Prendergast (C Frawley, 60), J Gibson-Park (C Casey, 55); A Porter (T O’Toole, 63), R Kelleher (T Stewart, 60), T Furlong (S Illo, 49, Furlong 73 - HIA); J Ryan (D Murray, 55), T Beirne – captain; R Baird, J van der Flier, N Timoney (J McNabney, 49, Timoney 53 - HIA).
T Beirne 41-51
P Loganimasi; S Ravutaumada, S Bituniyata (I Masi, 52), J Tuisova, J Wainiqolo; B Volavola (C Muntz, 72), F Lomani (T Tamani, 72); P Ravai (V Nairau, 52), T Ikanivere (Z Togiatama, 72), L Tagi (I Ravuiwasa, 52); J Tamani, I Nasilasila; M Vocevoce, L Tagagivalu (E Canakaivata, 52; Tagi 56-64 – YC FR rep), P Yato – captain (K Salawa, 25).
I Ravuiwasa 53-64
Angus Gardner (Australia)
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