Ireland ... 64 Fiji ... 17 Carping souls might have wanted more of a ruthless, killer instinct, or they might bemoan the leakage of two tries to outclassed and well-beaten opposition. But in truth there can't be too much to complain about after a fairly complete nine tries to two victory

Schools matches will, in due course, provide better lineouts than Fiji's, who could scarcely buy one at Lansdowne Road yesterday. But then again the impoverished visitors probably don't have the resources of some of Leinster's leading schools sides. Less forgivable was some vintage marshmallow tackling, which should leave some of the visitors in shame when they review the video before the final two games of their tour in Scotland.

Ireland will face altogether sterner opposition when the Pumas come to town this week - and they'll possibly be tougher than even Australia - but they couldn't do a whole lot more. Many of the understudies stepped up to the plate, none more so than the classy duo of Geordan Murphy and Kieron Dawson, though in many respects it was the first-team standard-bearers who led the way.

On the day when Brian O'Driscoll entered the record books once more, the great one was ultimately upstaged by his trusty midfield lieutenant, Kevin Maggs, who was rewarded for a typically industrious display with a hat-trick of tries.

A cohesive pack laid the foundations, bossing the lineouts, scrummaging solidly and bullying the Fijian pack around the pitch. Anthony Foley was excellent, taking the ball on and making tackles, while Malcolm O'Kelly can do little wrong at the moment and John Hayes was, well, John Hayes.

Though Guy Easterby's service lacked Peter Stringer's zip, and David Humphreys won't be happy with some of his place-kicking, they controlled things pretty well; Humphreys applied structure when it was needed and also gave the team plenty of width, as Ireland went through more moves than they would do in an average training run.

No one went badly, and it was a restorative day in lights for the revitalised Frankie Sheahan after his traumas last season. Alan Quinlan galloped freely and to good effect, while the skills of Murphy and Dawson shone through.

O'Sullivan and Niall O'Donovan might have a word with Dawson about his breaking too early from opposing scrums, but with plenty of go-forward ball to work off the London Irish flanker demonstrated his innate footballing and continuity skills.

Aside from his work at the breakdown, his running lines in support and handling skills created one try and enabled him to score another.

A mighty fine comeback as fifth comebacks go.

However structured Ireland wanted to keep the opening salvos, they couldn't stop themselves from manufacturing a good try off broken play. Quinlan counter-attacked cleverly by switching with Humphreys, Justin Bishop took the move on some more, Hayes over-ran Easterby's pop ball for Sheahan to provide the close-in target, and when the ball was moved along the line to Shane Horgan, he quickly spotted the lumbering, 22-stone hulk of Bill Cavubati on the Fijian wing. A three-yard gap on the outside was all he needed, with Murphy supporting on the inside to score.

The forwards wanted to get in on the act, but the second of consecutive lineout mauls was held up short again and provided the platform for O'Driscoll to find Bishop with a long skip pass.

He stepped inside Fero Lasagavibau's feeble tackle - more a one-armed wave really - and Maggs scored off the winger's switch pass when breaking Vili Satala's tackle.

The Fijian backs, as is their wont, seemed more interested in one-handed interceptions than tackling, and on the couple of occasions they had attacking lineouts O'Kelly read Greg Smith's throw, was lifted airborne by Hayes and Foley, and pilfered the ball like candy from a baby.

So despite an exchange of penalties it was just a matter of time before the Irish tries came. From another O'Kelly take, Maggs and Sheahan took the ball up in turn, Foley adding some trademark close-in impetus, and Humphreys chipped delicately over the advancing line for Murphy to touch down.

In such circumstances the odds were about 100 to 1 on that O'Driscoll would equal Brendan Mullin's 17-try Irish record, and he duly did so with a classic outside centre's outside break, showing Satala a clean pair of heels as Maggs dispelled any notions of obstruction as the decoy runner by sliding to ground.

Better almost followed with O'Driscoll's searing 50-metre break from the restart, but his pass inside to the supporting Dawson was intercepted by Jacob Raulini.

In any event, Bishop bounced off Nicky Little's half-hearted attempt to get in his way for try number five, and the sixth came on half-time when Humphreys and Maggs worked an opening for O'Kelly to gallop upfield with an opponent on his back who was scarcely more inconvenient than a flea. His under-arm offload and Dawson's patient and clever skip pass to Maggs enabled the centre to breeze inside Waisale Serevi; the little Fijian genius did not exactly put his body on the line for that one.

The official stats gave Fiji 14 missed tackles in the opening period. It seemed like more. However, Humphreys' missed penalty to touch on the resumption allowed Fiji to put Ireland on the back foot for the first time. From the moment Seremai Bai stepped inside Sheahan and bounced off Murphy a try was on, and though Serevi fumbled a walk-in try with one eye on the line, from a ruck under the posts Alifereti Doviverata handed off O'Driscoll to score.

Murphy and Bishop straightened a move which was running out of space for Dawson to finish it off pacily and forcefully, and after the wings linked in another counter-attack the equally deserving Foley scored from close quarters after Hayes had been held up.

Removing the spine of their pack and O'Driscoll, Ireland lost their way temporarily and Serevi put Joseph Narruhn over with trademark sleight of hand.

But Humphreys' lengthy line-kicking reimposed Ireland's will. They had the final say when Horgan ran straight and true off Quinlan's quick tap, and though denied the try he deserved, he offloaded for Maggs to score again.

A hat-trick and a man-of-the match award for the largely unheralded Maggs. It was that sort of day.