Ireland 35 Fiji 17: Andy Farrell’s side see off ill-disciplined rivals in comfortable win at Aviva Stadium

ANGRY Andy Farrell said Ireland will need to regroup if they are to continue their winning run at Aviva Stadium when the wounded Wallabies arrive in Dublin next weekend.

Australia's shock loss in Italy this weekend immediately cranks up this encounter but first Farrell and his management will have to trawl through the details of a poor performance by his understrength side against an ill-disciplined Fijian side.

It was a far from vintage Irish performance against a Fijian side who had two men binned and one sent off and the poor discipline of Vern Cotter's side ensured a shock result was never on the cards.

“I thought we were off, I thought we were poor," admitted Farrell.

"We didn't have much continuity. I think the way we started the game was slow.

“Fair play to Fiji, going down to 13 men and a couple of yellow cards coming back on and off, they were resilient. They will 100pc be saying they defended their own 22 pretty well but the amount of access we got in there and didn't convert into points was pretty disappointing from us.

“Some lads will be disappointed. We started poorly, which hasn't been like us over the last few weeks. We'll sit down and understand the reasons why."

Farrell gave debuts to loosehead Jeremy Loughman and replacement out-half Jack Crowley and back five utility player Cian Prendergast, but other than giving these three their bow, there weren't too many highlights.

“The less said in the dressing room straight away about the game the better really because we are here to celebrate the three caps for those lads," added Farrell.

"It's a huge day for them and their families. I'm delighted we were able to get the victory so that they are able to enjoy the evening."

Ireland's eleventh successive home win was achieved by five tries to two as they maintained their 100% winning record in five games against Fiji but it came at a price with centre Robbie Henshaw, out-half Joey Carbery and full-back Jimmy O'Brien all picking up injuries.

Henshaw went off early with a recurrence of a hamstring injury, while Carbery and O'Brien suffered head injuries.

Farrell confirmed that Bundee Aki would be available for the Australia game next weekend and he will assess who else is available when they regroup and start preparations for their third and final game in the autumn series before the attention turns to the Six Nations and the World Cup next year.

The review of this one will not be pretty even if Ireland were well on their way to victory when they led 21-10 at the end of a scrappy opening half where both sides were guilty of unforced errors.

Ireland should have been further ahead but they didn't make the most of Fiji's indiscipline even though they enjoyed 65% possession after a slow start.

Fijian out-half Teti Tela butchered an early penalty from 38 metres but the reprieve was short-lived for Ireland as the visitors struck for the opening try of the match after four minutes.

It was slick move down the left involving full-back Setareki Tuicuvu and winger Vinaya Habosi before skipper Waisea Nayacalevu put his centre partner Kalaveti Ravouvou in under the posts for a quality score which Tela converted to lead 7-0.

Ireland lost centre Robbie Henshaw to injury in the move and having coughed up three penalties in the opening eight minutes, they struggled to get into the game.

But they eventually settled and with Fiji getting massively on the wrong side of French referee Mathieu Raynal, the Irish forwards were given a foothold and they used it well.

They got back on level terms with a try from a lineout on the right, working a handful of drives from Tadhg Beirne's take for Nick Timoney to get over for his opening try.

Joey Carbery converted from the right and Ireland pushed on from there.

Kieran Treadwell thought he had scored off another lineout but TMO Chris Hart spotted that Levani Botia had superbly managed to get a hand under the ball and the score was scratched.

But it took Ireland just another two minutes to hit the front.

This time they went to the left with a penalty and with Fiji tighthead Manasa Saulo binned as their penalty count rocketed, Timoney was again at the end of the drive to score, with Carbery's conversion making it 14-7 after 21 minutes.

Ireland managed just one more try before the break despite dominating after Tela had pulled back a penalty after Treadwell strayed offside.

BALOU-BOOM

Robert Baloucoune supplied the finishing touch in the right corner after full-back Jimmy O'Brien was stopped short, but a superb floating pass from Jamison Gibson Park put the Ulster winger over Carbery added an excellent conversion.

The closest Ireland came to adding to the tally before the break came four minutes from the interval but Jack Conan was denied in the right corner by the tackles of Habosi and Ravouvou.

Fiji were reduced to 14 men six minutes after the restart when Gloucester flanker Albert Tuisue was sent off for a high, no-arms tackle on Carbery which forced the Irish out-half to go off.

That paved the way for his Munster colleague Jack Crowley to come on for his Irish debut but while he found a good ground with his first touch, the lineout throw from Rob Herring was crooked and Fiji cleared their lines. 

Both sides continued to empty their benches and Connacht's Cian Prendergast came on for his debut when he replaced Treadwell after 50 minutes.

Fiji were reduced to 13 men when replacement Api Ratuniyarawa was binned after 50 minutes as they continued to infringe but the concession of three penalties in a row by Ireland allowed the visitors to clear their lines.

Ireland tried to go wide to utilise the extra space but they struggled to execute their intentions as the errors mounted but they finally ended a 36-minute barren spell when Mack Hansen scored in the left corner.

A late hit on Beirne in midfield and a good touchfiner from Crowley presented a good lineout opportunity but while the ball was turned over in the maul, Ireland got the squeeze on the Fjiian feed in the scrum and Craig Casey set up Hansen out wide in the left to score.

Crowley added the difficult conversion from the left to push Ireland 28-10 in front after 61 minutes.

However, Fiji responded superbly, working the ball across from a lineout on the right in midfield for Toulon winger Jiuta Wainiqolo to make massive ground before a superb, out the back offload put replacement scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli in under the posts for an excellent try.

Replacement out-half Ben Volavola from Racing 92 added the extras to cut the gap to 28-17 with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Ireland continued to go the direct route and were rewarded six minutes from time when sustained drives ended with veteran Cian Healy squeezing over for his eleventh international try, with Crowley adding the extras from the left to push the lead out to 18 points.

Ireland lost full-back O'Brien to a head injury three minutes from time with Gibson Park coming back on for the closing moments as they wound down the clock before kicking the ball dead.

“The way that we finished the game, kicking the ball off the crowd and not having a crack, summed it all up," added Farrell.

"Plenty of learnings for us."

Scorers: Ireland: Tries: N Timoney (2), R Baloucoune, M Hansen, C Healy. Cons: J Carbery (3), J Crowley (2).

Fiji: Tries: K Ravouvou, S Kuruvoli. Con: B Volavola. Pen: T Tela.

IRELAND: J O'Brien (Gibson Park 77 HIA); R Baloucoune, R Henshaw (G Ringrose 4), S McCloskey, M Hansen; J Carbery (J Crowley 46), J Gibson-Park (C Casey 50); J Loughman (C Healy 61), R Herring (D Sheehan 73), T Furlong (capt) (T O'Toole 50); K Treadwell (C Prendergast 50), T Beirne; C Doris (M DEegan 60), N Timoney, J Conan.

FIJI: S Tuicuvu; J Wainiqolo, W Nayacalevu, K Ravouvou (A Cocagi 59), V Habosi; T Tela (B Volavola 44), F Lomani (S Kuruvoli 48); E Mawi (L Natave 59), S Matavesi (M Dolokoto 76), M Saulo (Atalifo 64); I Nasilasila, R Rotuisolia (A Ratuniyarawa 24), A Tuisue (L Atalifo 28-30), L Botia (J Dyer 55), V Mata

REFEREE: M Raynal (France).