The Ireland rugby team got another Autumn Nations Series win at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon with a commanding victory over a lacklustre Fijian team that struggled with their discipline throughout the afternoon.
Ireland took full advantage of Fiji's persistent infringements, which included 17 penalties and two yellow cards. Referee Holly Davidson was really fed up with Fiji, as the visitors could have faced even sterner punishment.
Ireland's attack looked good, particularly off 1st phase, allowing the team to showcase their extensive playbook and well-crafted strike moves. Their short passing game proved especially effective, consistently finding gaps in the Fijian defence, which in all honestly was a shambles.
Andy Farrell will be delighted with his players this afternoon and with those making their debuts, but some promising attacks were thwarted by imprecise final passes, preventing what could have been an even more emphatic scoreline. Ireland's improved discipline and expansive attacking play demonstrated clear progress, though a tougher test awaits next week.
Here's a look at the individual performances of the Ireland rugby team team:
Ireland Rugby Player Ratings - Starting XV
15. Jamie Osborne – 7/10
Looked very assured in his 27 minutes on the field, with some excellent aerial skills and good exit kicks. Came off injured in the 1st half.
14. Mack Hansen – 7/10
2 tries for the Irish winger – His 1st and Ireland’s 4th try came from a smart kick by Prendergast. A good finish from a good Casey pass for his 2nd. Needs to work harder when carrying the ball into contact (avoid the touchline!)
13. Robbie Henshaw – 8/10
Looks really sharp and is playing some great rugby. He was direct hard running and always looked to take on and beat his opposite number on every ball carry.
12. Bundee Aki – 8/10
Much better and a man-of-the-match performance from Aki. Found a lot of space as he took advantage of some poor Fiji defence, over for Ireland’s 5th try. Put in some huge tackles and powerful ball carries. - 17 Ball Carries/7 tackles.
11. Jacob Stockdale – 7/10
Good to see him back in green and he didn’t disappoint. Worked hard to get involved in the game and was used well in some of Ireland’s set-piece attacks. Came off injured early in the 2nd half.
10. Sam Prendergast – 7/10
It really was a busy 1st test start for the young man. An early yellow card (lucky it wasn’t a 20-minute red) for a poor tackle selection. He had some excellent kicks to touch, kicks put out on the full and a try-scoring kick. We saw his excellent passing ranges, a Sexton loop and some moments where the attack got away from him. Overall, it was a good first start.
9. Craig Casey – 7/10
Good snappy passing got Ireland moving the big Fiji forwards. Dived over for Ireland’s 3rd try. Had a few issues in defence in the first half and Fiji’s big men found him in the defence line
1. Andrew Porter – 6/10
Drifted In and out of the game. Showed some good moments in defence. 5 tackles/4 carries
2. Gus McCarthy – 8/10
Well, that was some debut……Tears during the national anthem and a nervous wobble on his first throw. But after that, he looked like a seasoned international. Made a very clever pass inside to Doris for Ireland’s 1st try and another assist for Casey’s try. A much deserved try in the 63rd minute too from a maul.
3. Finlay Bealham – 6/10
Spent much of his time on the field in defence. Lucky to get away with a scrum penalty in the 1st half.
4. Joe McCarthy – 7/10
Rolled his sleeves up and physically got stuck into the Fijians. Showed some good passing skills in Ireland’s attack system with some well-timed tip passes. 7 tackles/8 Carries
5. Tadhg Beirne – 7/10
A good afternoon's work and looks more comfortable in the team in the 2nd row position. Made a mess of Fiji’s rucks with some good work. – 10 Ball Carries/12 Tackles
6. Cormac Izuchukwu – 6/10
Unlucky not to get over for a debut try after the final pass by Hansen was ruled to be forward. Made a great try-saving tackle in the 1st half. The game drifted by him and he looked lost in attack at stages as he waited for the game to come to him. 5 tackles/3Carries
7. Josh Van Der Flier – 7/10
Quieter game this week as he was probably feeling the effects of last week’s bruising game. Linked well with the attack and made some good clear-outs. 9 tackles
8. Caelan Doris (Capt.) – 8/10
Another classy performance from the captain as he got Ireland off to a great start with a 5th-minute try. Put in some big hits on the big Fiji ball carriers - 16 Ball Carries/15 Tackles.
SEE ALSO: BOD Explains Why Sam Prendergast Was 'Lucky' to Avoid Red Card Vs Fiji
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Ireland Rugby Player Ratings - Replacements
16· Ronan Kelleher – 6/10
On for just 7 mins. Over for his 8th Irish try and Ireland’s eighth try of the afternoon off a good Lineout set play.
17· Tom O’Toole – 5/10
On at the unfamiliar position of loose-head and gave away a 2 poor technical penalty in his only 2 scrums. Probably played his way off the side for next weekend.
18· Thomas Clarkson – 6/10
On for his 2nd cap and nearly got over for his 1st international try. Wanted to get onto the ball to show his ball-carrying ability.
19· Iain Henderson – 5/10
Just doesn't look tuned in mentally or physically to International rugby at the moment. Some silly errors in attack but made his tackles in defence. Got on the ball late in the game.
20· Cian Prendergast– 6/10
One for the family photo album as it was Great to see the 2 brothers on the field together. Showed some good passing skills as Ireland looked to move Fiji around. 3 Tackles
21· Conor Murray – 6/10
Forced onto the wing as Ireland ran out of back subs. Nearly over for a try but another forward pass ruled it out.
22· Ciaran Frawley – 6/10
On at full-back in the 1st half. Ireland’s attack looked good with him stepping up into a playmaker role. But still made some errors that he really shouldn’t be making at this level.
23· Stuart McCloskey – 6/10
Looked good in his 33 minutes on the field. Will be hard for him to get in the starting team as his competition had good games too.
Coach– 7/10
A good afternoon for the Irish head coach and his coaching staff. The game proved valuable for Ireland which got crucial game time to some emerging players and wider squad players.
Against a porous Fijian defence, Ireland showed how good their playbook is and was allowed to flourish, with several set-piece moves and power plays yielding significant rewards. The coaching team will be particularly pleased with how seamlessly these newer combinations executed their plans.
However, the victory came at a cost, with a few injury concerns to monitor ahead of next week's more demanding test against Australia.
