CONWAY WAY OUT IN FRONT

BRENDAN KEANE Ireland 57 USA 14

ANDREW CONWAY was the hat-trick hero as Ireland crushed the USA at the Aviva Stadium.

But this isn’t the biggest result Irish rugby will be hoping for this weekend.

By today we will find out if Joe Schmidt – winner of a grand slam and two more Six Nations titles – is going to stay or leave as Ireland coach.

Family reasons look set to drag him home to New Zealand – a decision he will finalise after one final discussion with his family.

If he goes, Andy Farrell is his likeliest replacement.

The good news for Irish rugby fans is that Schmidt will hang on until after next year’s World Cup.

Yet while he will be in Japan, it is hard to know how many of those involved last night will join him.

With Schmidt ringing the changes from the All Blacks win this was basically a World Cup audition for the remaining 14 starters. But far too many of them fluffed their lines.

Conway got the first of eight tries and, after Joe Taufete replied, Ireland scored through Jack Conan, Tadhg Beirne and Stuart McCloskey. Conway’s third try came on 77 minutes when Garry Ringrose carved open the US defence, Quinn Roux’s try coming 11 minutes earlier. John Ryan was last to score in the dying seconds.