Ireland - 65 Fiji - 10UNDER -21 WORLD CUP: Ireland got their IRB under-21 World Cup back on track with a 65-10 win over Fiji at the Rand Afrikaans University ground in warm and dry Johannesburg yesterday.
Outhalf Eoghan Hickey was in fine form with both the boot and in general play and scored 35 points from six penalties, six conversions and a try to lead his side out of the mire after losing their opening clash 51-18 to Australia on Friday.
The match was almost exclusively played inside the Fijian half as the young islanders rarely had the ball in hand. Indeed, the grass inside the 22-metre area was worn out as Ireland spent all but a few minutes camped there.
Ireland would have won by a wider margin but Fiji chose to spoil, which considering the pressure they were under was probably the only option available to them, however unpalatable for the smattering of spectators.
It led to seven Ireland penalties and two yellow cards in the first 40 minutes, which the deadly boot of Hickey punished with six converted kicks.
There were also tries for back- row forwards Conor Hartigan and Shane Jennings but with Ireland in desperate need of a bonus point they would have been concerned at the break, especially as it soon became clear that Fiji had no intention of changing their tactics in the second half as the match resumed its familiar pattern.
Fiji's lone try had come in typical fashion from a team raised on sevens rugby when right wing Sailosi Tagicakibau intercepted from 80 metres to score under the posts.
Within five minutes of the second half, however, Ireland had the bonus point thanks to tries from right wing Martin McPhail and a second for Hartigan.
It didn't stop Ireland from continuing to bash away at the stubborn Fijian defensive line and inevitably they were sapped of their spirit and fight as they dragged themselves from one tackle to the next.
The Irish were relentless as they swarmed at the Fijian line, adding a further three tries through scrumhalf Brian O'Riordan, hooker Rory Best and Hickey before the match came mercifully to an end.
SCORING SEQUENCE
5 mins: Hickey pen, 3-0; 9 mins: Hickey pen, 6-0; 12 mins: Hickey pen, 9-0; 23 mins: Hickey pen, 12-0; 28 mins: Hartigan try, Hickey con, 19-0; 32 mins: Tagicakibau try, Vakacegu con, 19-7; 37 mins: Hickey pen, 22-7; 39 mins: Jennings try, Hickey con, 29-7; 40 mins: Hickey pen, 32-7; 42 mins: McPhail try, Hickey con, 39-7; 45 mins: Hartigan try, Hickey con, 46-7; 52 mins: O'Riordan try, 51-7; 59 mins: Best try, Hickey con, 58-7; 60 mins: Vakacegu pen, 58-10; 71 mins: Hickey try, Hickey con, 65-10.
IRELAND: G Duffy; M McPhail, G Mitchell (C McPhillips 76), C O'Sullivan (B Lynn 65), S Young; E Hickey, B O'Riordan (F Murphy 63); J Lyne, R Best (K Corrigan 74), B Young (S Phillips 53), S Keogh (T Barker 53), M Mc Cullough, S Jennings, C Hartigan, R Wilson.
FIJI: M Vakacegu; S Tagicakibau, F Bolavucu, SManulevu (N Daveta 58), S Nasilisili (I Turuva 73); V Druma (yellow card 56), V Nawalowalo (yellow card 23); V Racaqi, A Leano, (S Toduadua 70), J Lima, J Lutumailaqi, N Donumainasava, S Masadigo, E Dranikamate (yellow card 36), I Gavadi (M Vosawai 44).
