Underwhelming Ireland see off Fiji

IRELAND head coach Andy Farrell admitted there were no excuses for yesterday’s poor display against Fiji, with the under-par hosts failing to back up last weekend’s stirring performance against the Springboks.

Farrell made eight changes to his starting line-up with Jeremy Loughman making his Test debut while Jack Crowley and Cian Prendergast won their first caps from the bench.

Ireland scored five tries — with Nick Timoney bagging a brace along with scores from Robert Baloucoune, Mack Hansen (right) and Cian Healy — but their performance was littered with errors against the indisciplined visitors who had flanker Albert Tuisue sent off along with two further yellow cards for his teammates.

And the Ireland head coach was left searching for answers after this underwhelming display in Dublin.

‘No excuse whatsoever because we are a squad and we have all been in camp the same length of time, and we are all learning together and yeah, there are no excuses there in that regard,’ Farrell said. ‘We have been pretty good of late, starting well, but our start today obviously wasn’t the best. You fast forward to the last play of the game, us kicking the ball out against 14 men with the scrum ready to play when the game is already won — it probably sums the game up.’

Farrell is set to ring the changes ahead of the visit of Australia, who lost to Italy yesterday. But the Ireland boss has a host of injury concerns after Robbie Henshaw, Joey Carbery and Jimmy O’Brien all left the field yesterday, while it remains to be seen if Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Johnny Sexton and Hugo Keenan will be first for the autumn international finale. Bundee Aki is set to come back into the selection equation, however, with the Connacht centre’s ban coming to an end.

But this display will concern Farrell and his coaching team with big improvements needed ahead of the Wallabies clash.

‘For us, as far as the performance is concerned, pretty underwhelming,’ Farrell added.

‘I suppose when you look back and you analyse a performance like that, you’ll get plenty of learnings out of it.’ SCORERS; Ireland — Tries: Timoney (2), Baloucoune, Hansen, Healy. Cons: Carbery (3), Crowley (2). Fiji — Tries: Ravouvou, Kuruvoli. Cons: Tela, Volavola. Pens: Tela.