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00:08Some interesting jersey colours tonight, Ireland wearing white, apparently it's a once in a year commercial obligation and that means
00:16the Fijians are out of their traditional white, now I've had my painting panel out and I reckon that's, well,
00:26cornflower blue, so it will be Fiji.
00:30Playing from left to right, Ben Bola Bola, one of the veterans in this Fiji squad who'll get us underway,
00:37Angus Gardner is the referee, his 60th test match in charge, we're all set and I must say, results already
00:46this weekend mean that the Northern Hemisphere pool is fascinating.
00:52Time on.
00:58So the Fijians, as I said, they always pack attention on a good day, they can run rings around you,
01:05you've got to be careful, haven't you, Gordon?
01:07What a brilliant evening you have in the Uviva here in Dublin, no breeze in the stadium, roughly 10 degrees,
01:15a brilliant evening for a game of rugby, and if the games we've seen earlier on today are anything to
01:20go by, this should be a cracker.
01:23Early touch day, early touch day, you might have seen for Tighe Furlong, the tight head, turns 34 today, Jamison
01:30Gibson Park getting a start as well.
01:33The only other start that Gibson Park has had since the July series was here against Munster in that big
01:39Leinster-Munster clash three weeks or so ago.
01:44Frank Lomani there wearing nine, the scrum half tonight for the Fijians, one of the players who's got plenty of
01:51international experience, having had a season or so at Northampton in the English trend.
01:57Come on, come on, come on, come on.
02:04Taken into the contact there by Tanguy Tanguy Balu, who plays his club rugby for Racing 92 in Paris, in
02:10fact, almost the majority of this Fijian squad is involved in club rugby in Europe, particularly the French top 14.
02:21Another great start to the night there for Tommy O'Brien.
02:24yeah but a great bit of play from Fiji they went for the opposite the quick
02:28quick line out get it in and you can see playing a few phases in around the
02:32half in around the halfway line but I think how Lomane and Vola Vola manage
02:37this game is going to be really really important for them you can see what they
02:41did against France they played lots of rugby but they played in the wrong
02:44territory of the wrong places in the field so really good contestable kick
02:51Juanigolo getting up putting Tommy O'Brien under pressure and now getting
02:54the opportunity for an attacking scrum in the Irish half so good start
02:59plenty of changes to this Fiji starting 15 this evening but
03:04the prep fared pretty well in the set piece last week against France in Lyon
03:12so Lomane with the
03:14on there to Vola Vola here's a ram of the mandarin bursting through there is
03:22between Yata who's making his debut tonight despite being in his early 30s
03:27here's Lomane once more find support there from Joshua Tuis over
03:34there's Lomane again quicker hands and carrying it through there is Tumane
03:40there's Lomane encouraging start this from the Fijians taken on by Luke Tungy
03:46another of those players who plays regularly in the top 14 but it has been turned over
03:51that goes Prendergast
03:53take him back
03:55the referee says he was taken back in goal so it's going to be a five meter scrum to the
04:00Fijians
04:01yeah very strong start and you can just see the number of Andrew Porter in really
04:05strong over the ball I suppose that's only half the job the reaction here so Fiji reacting
04:10a lot quicker than Ireland were there but already two line breaks created by Fiji and that is the threat
04:16they bring
04:20we often talk about how Fiji may be unstructured that's a sort of rugby they play free thinking a
04:28mix of natural talent often used as sort of euphemisms I think for being not terribly well organized but
04:35the reality is that the majority of these players play their club rugby in the best leagues in the world
04:42they're used to structured uh weeks they're used to playing under structured coaches concern there for
04:48Jamie Osborne very early on and uh on comes Stu McCluskey
04:55a bitter blow that for the youngster from Leinster yeah you can see it on his face whatever whatever it
05:01is you can just see straight away he can't can't continues holding just you know it might be his
05:07peck or it might be something into his shoulder
05:11and just see there guys carried in yeah first scrum was good that's the standard right foot just never
05:18never really got back up he's going straight down the tunnel so Stu McCluskey coming into 12 you'd expect
05:22Bundy to shift out to the 13 channel uh so very very lucky to have players like this on the
05:28on the bench
05:29you're not weakening Ireland by any any stretch of the imagination and just I'd say they would have
05:35liked Stu McCluskey not be playing 70 76 odd minutes yeah we came from Scrimbox I think we can work
05:42on the
05:43basis Gordon at Stu McCluskey the plan was always the start next week
05:49Scrim penalty to Ireland that's just what they were looking for
05:53and just to pull on that thread you were talking about Martin about the the the Fijian players and
05:58when they're playing in those European uh leagues and when they're sorry in the in the French
06:03League and the English League and then a few of them in the in the URC they tend to add
06:07the flavour
06:07the spice the unpredictability into those teams and you see Ireland getting an early penalty there
06:14really tight really strong tight five from Ireland and it's those fundamental structures of the game
06:19that we know you have to have a platform if you want to play rugby at this level
06:26the challenges for Fiji rugby in 2026 were articulated by Jake White in that pre-match interview the fact
06:34that really they don't spend too much time together the carry forward there from Ryan Baird who is
06:40fast establishing himself as a regular here's Gibson Clark who hoists it high there's some catching
06:46practice here for Wanangolo no Longinemasi is going to have to go back he's got a bit of support there
06:53from Rabutamanda but uh chose route one with the boot and uh one way or another it's worked quite
07:01effectively here's Sam Prendergast not sure that was intended but it was a bounce pass that did the job
07:07to Mac Hanson good tackle coming in from Tangi the tight head
07:15that carry from James Ryan Ryan 73rd start tonight for Ireland
07:24there's Baird once more the tackle from to a soda
07:31well they've turned it have the Vigilians there's low money
07:37Vola Vola finds some space sends Tommy O'Brien back here's Mac Hanson
07:46Vola Vola just rather over committed himself which meant he was quite easy to step
07:5112. yeah okay 12 was all right good thank you mate
07:56Danny N'Golo and he just finds where Vola came he's off away and running
08:04important first tackle made there onto N'Golo as well that is uh Bondiaki good to see him back he
08:11was in
08:12the sickbay last week which is why he wasn't involved
08:15play advantage picked up by Mac Hanson well
08:22number two I rather think that time that uh Ryan Baird might well have been looking the other way
08:28I think so um we're probably going to have to go and have a look at this as well
08:36that's a block not a genuine attempt to catch
08:39that's definitely one way of looking at it um Ryan Baird I think that is the concentration that
08:46Andy Farrar was talking about in the wrong sense of the the sense of the of the term
08:53the little bit of an advantage that Ireland had there you can see Mac Hanson taking the ball going
08:57with it and it's that kind of broken field running that Ireland we're starting to see a little bit of
09:03play last week that we need to see continued growth in them this week so Ryan Keller
09:10sex all right still going
09:15tackle released
09:16and in possession in the Fiji 22 for the first time and uh they've got themselves a penalty advantage as
09:24well
09:27Josh van der Fleer getting thumped tired by Carnivera
09:32there's Prendergast once more
09:37it's an easy running Tommy O'Brien first time in the 22
09:43Ireland have made it count and they made it look so easy
09:47yeah it's a well worked try you kind of looked like the air had gone out of the attack was
09:52a very
09:53very big hit on Josh van der Fleer but you can just see the work rate of uh of players
10:01Balakoon working in off his wing
10:02and you can just see here now getting the ball into Balakoon's hands he tempts the outside defender to look
10:10in
10:10and then it's just simple hands two quick passes letting the ball do the work but it's this pace from
10:16Balakoon
10:16the damage it does and that's the tackle as soon as it's either Juanigolo um that steps in there as
10:23soon as he steps in
10:24that kills the defense on the outside and good enough players Mac Hanson
10:28two quick passes there for Tommy O'Brien and a nice run in
10:30he's not quite Will Jordan
10:33for Tommy O'Brien but that's now nine tries in
10:37nine test matches in about eight and a half minutes
10:40and that was a very crisp strike off the kicking tee as well the addition there of Balakoon coming off
10:46his
10:46win yeah so create the additional man yeah so it was uh Ravito Mata that uh steps in so once
10:52he does
10:53that he leaves his 15 standing you know he he's dead he's dead in the water but it was that
10:58acceleration from Balakoon that did all the damage
11:04yeah Sam Prendergast who's about a sort of 76 percent
11:08success kicker of the tee in test match rugby but that is now his 12th straight success
11:18and Bryan's underneath it but it goes back to the loose head that's Ravai
11:23but vola vola getting caught here give up the ball now Fiji being a little bit careless
11:35just a good bit of hustle a bit of intensity there for Ireland trying to get in on the uh
11:41on the
11:42breaking ball it's on the floor just trying to trying to put pressure on them
11:48let's go guys put me a figure there in the middle of the shot
11:51great smile remember him was Ireland's forwards coach when Declan Kidney was the boss
11:572009 Six Nations Grand Slam when Ireland won it for the first time in 61 years
12:02I suspect Gordon you remember that well I know remember it very very well he was a brilliant
12:07forwards coach didn't really want to know too much about the outside box and I think he tolerated us
12:12control the weight as long as we stayed out of his way he uh he he worked great things with
12:17the
12:17pack and I think everybody in Ireland has a lot of affinity for him yes he's a man of few
12:23words
12:23his head smile I've known him for about 30 years the first time I spoke to him I interviewed him
12:31I
12:31was told uh if he says nothing just mention Gary Knight look at the cross kick that and a balacoon
12:36and balacoon couldn't quite control it yes uh that smile who because of the international moratorium
12:44missed out on what I'm sure would have been a long springbok career but in the 80s he was part
12:49of that
12:50outstanding south africa squad I think it was 86 when they had that unofficial series against the
12:56cavaliers who were essentially the all-blacks yeah that's a cruel bounce there isn't it just bounces out of
13:02uh Rob Balacoon's hands but what I like about that is Prendergast attacking you've got Hanson you've
13:09got they're just they're engaging all the players that create that space it's the right decision the
13:13execution is perfect just the bounce of the ball can he better off target there with his throw here's
13:20uh joshua to us over really okay don't play on there mate
13:32okay use it thank low money it didn't start last week in lyon against france now please let's go
13:41look there it's uh funny angolo with the uh slightly blonde rinse in his hair
13:52gibson clark securing possession here's uh andrew porter just trundling forward
14:00gibson clark handsome balacoon once more
14:27it's good play by icky not to give that not to force it and this is where ireland
14:34need to be patient there with the carry spinning and turning and rolling gibson clark hanson
14:45gibson clark once more on there to prendergast there's porter finding himself almost in the shadow
14:52of the posts gibson clark again there's the ulsterman mccluskey
15:00the second visit into the 22 balacoon just being held up by vany angolo
15:09mccluskey just offloading there to james ryan
15:12and off the head so it's play on for me ireland doing well here to keep the ball alive
15:18baird again being held up by tangy tangy balu
15:25here's tight burn
15:30o'brien
15:33two meters to go for ireland they're showing patience here
15:38and accuracy oh and then there's a hand in and that could be problematic genuine attempt to catch
15:45well celestino ramo tamanda there he is the referee's saying it was a genuine attempt to catch so
15:54there will be no sanction just a knock on
16:01i think that's a that's a fair summation of it he is both hands are there he's not trying to
16:06knock
16:06it down he's read the play he's gone through and that's the second time gibson park has gone for that
16:13wide pass off the base to the to the winger and i think if uh rob balacoon had i think
16:17mac hansen
16:18had his hands up and he cheekily just dropped them and let the ball go in front of him i
16:22think if
16:23rob balacoon had had seen it coming he might have gone in for a try a little bit earlier
16:26all the way through keep the height up okay
16:47this is a real test for this vg defense
16:50defense which hasn't been together for terribly long
16:54set good stay square number one in september when they had three test matches there's gibson park
17:04and the referee awards the try and gibson park it is who gets over a second score for ireland and
17:13we've been playing just quarter of an hour
17:17that's a nice try well worked what does it come from martin comes from that set piece
17:27you just see james and gibson park he's coming up look at all the eyes
17:31on stewart mccluskey look at all the eyes on tommy o'brien and they just drift off
17:36james gibson park but it comes from that really nice square scrum and we might just have to have
17:45a little look at this okay
17:57come off so television match official tonight mike adams
18:02check in the grounding so on field this season is a try just referring to your check check
18:18so now it's coming to ground there's clear separation from the hand
18:27so it's a knock on is that what you say yeah clear separation and the ball's not far
18:33so nobody in gold yeah
18:35yeah okay
18:40why don't you all should be looking at that tackle
18:45yeah well i think the tackle is made very very reasonably around the around the around the torso
18:51so i just as gibson park is trying to wrestle the ball out he starts to uh to slip up
18:56uh but great
18:58work i think that is uh yato that's uh gets in and just does that work from behind the scrum
19:04and gets
19:04hold of gibson park and stays in the fight um and i think that's all you can ask for on
19:09uh
19:11on moments like that
19:14your number nine was falling in the act of scoring so there's no foul play there
19:18yeah here we go thank you okay stay behind
19:35hansen on here that timoney did play almost a full season for ulster back in 2023 at number eight hansen
19:46with
19:46the floated pass out to another ulsterman there's balakun
19:50being dispossessed it's picked up by bonnie ngolo forward goes to money
20:02looking for some space and uh well they almost found it good positional play though from sam prendergast
20:12yeah listen that's what you want and i said at the start that's how the halfbacks manage this game
20:17is going to be really important for them france gave fiji all the possession they wanted in the
20:22wrong areas of the field so when they were trying to run out when they're trying to attack it's at
20:26the
20:26other end of the field at any and they just ran out of run out of gas but a great
20:31kick great kick from
20:32frank limani there putting it in and uh they get possession on the halfway line so now we just need
20:37a functioning line out canny bearer who led the the jeans last week in leon plays his club rugby
20:44in japan for honda heat
20:50ryan dead they're making a real nuisance of himself but island have come offside
20:58backs up early soft penalty
21:03yeah it is um well you know well seen by the assistant referees
21:09and fiji showing a bit of ambition here and volo volo going for the corner
21:18not the most sympathetic of kicks but then as we saw earlier today and last night plenty
21:25kicks going dead so you're better off having possession in the 22 rather than kicking it dead
21:28so listen it's a good platform for fiji and a good opportunity now for ireland on their defensive line
21:34thanks thank you if at this level there is a real problem position and it has been for a number
21:40of
21:40years with fiji it is fly half and volo volo having his first test start for more than three years
21:46here
21:46can it better finds his man
21:52fiji in possession inside the island 22 for the second time that was yato took it on they take some
22:00stopping from that sort of range and they've got the try what a way to bounce back for the fijiians
22:11well joshua to us over coming there at speed well i heard back at the studio that uh ugo was
22:20referring to him as a sort of semi-detached house well maggie thought he maybe looked more like a bungalow
22:25but
22:26i think we got the idea here that joshua to us over but he's built like a buffalo he's got
22:33a side step
22:34and he's always got to change your gear but just look at the way he isolates
22:40that channel he goes from mccluskey's outside and then steps into the ball so he is one-on-one squarely
22:50in
22:51the 10 channel and this is nothing about sam prednigas being able to tackle not tackle when
22:55you get somebody like him running square at you and you are on the back foot not too many good
23:01things
23:01are going to happen on the defensive side and that's an unfortunate kick off to the side by volo volo
23:07yeah so it is just worth five but joshua to us over don't forget he was part of that outstanding
23:12toulon
23:13score when it was a really was a team of galacticos in the sort of 2013 and 14 johnny wilkinson
23:23i remember sonny bill williams
23:26i remember the size of his calves and the socks not going up over them i got hoping and hoping
23:32i
23:33wasn't gonna have to do too many tackles on him okay use it
23:38he might have lost uh maybe half a gear of his speed because he's now into his early 30s but
23:44do you remember the reaction when people first saw him when he arrived in europe
23:50so a penalty the pg i might i kind of have andy farrell's words ringing in my ears just as
23:58we're
23:59you know first quarter done talking about concentration discipline just careful when you
24:04lift that ball that's out okay and you just kind of you think there's more into this pg
24:08starting to control the all the way okay control the tempo here
24:13ireland may need to absorb a little bit a little bit of this
24:16um but they don't want to be letting letting pg into the game too much here
24:25in the moment the only side in the nation's championship without a point
24:29seven
24:31italy's point a losing bonus point today in that defeat by argentina in general
24:36put them off the mark
24:39good line out ball is vola vola once more two it's over coming in at speed there's where to
24:45bituniyata that time it's rabbi up to the 22 once more limani onto a canny better
24:56playing with speed again the fijians there's the fallback longany marsy
25:05here's to us over brian baird wrapping him up with a bit of help there from galahar
25:18the one thing you'll be certain of when you play fiji in a test match
25:22is that ball is fed inside and there's the debut on again between a young two
25:36pola vola
25:39is uh ravitamanda having come off the right wing
25:45good defensive set at the moment for the irish well that was an impressive carry from petheliato
25:50who may have found a bit of a perforation and then it was tangy tangy vala who lost it forward
26:04prelegast just gliding through
26:12this is how he's become the top scorer in the top 14 and he offloads it
26:16and it's petheliato who gets the drive and fiji are in front
26:23he was always the danger man wasn't he 19 defenders beaten last week 19 defenders that is
26:32that is incredible um but the sloppiness from ireland
26:38dg turn over the ball they're trying to run it out but not looking after the ball in that
26:44previous rook there and look at how many defenders does he go through tommy o'brien with the hit but
26:49the big man there uh yato getting in over over the line but look at this
26:54it's just it is beautiful to watch their ability to broken field run is lovely
27:02and those are two absolutely world-class players juanagolo who scored the fastest ever top 14 hat
27:11trick earlier this year took him just seven minutes to get a hat trick against montemain
27:17playing for uh leon but deliato you remember him he was one of the great stars of clemento then a
27:23decade
27:24or so ago it's good to see him back up again the captain he uh i don't think it was
27:29a consequence of
27:30any contact with anyone i think he just uh hurt himself scoring the try i'd say he was just having
27:36he was having a blow he was having a breather i'd say he hasn't he hasn't been in that support
27:40line too
27:40many times um but just for ireland like really disappointed with the care of the ball looking
27:46after it there browning gas makes a lovely lovely break two things happen one he doesn't look after
27:51the ball and the second bit that the support is too slow getting to him cannot do that against any
27:56teams
27:59what's the fault they're just going down on one knee to make sure he got that safely tucked in
28:05they use it let's see how pg just goes through the exit routine it's the low risk option now from
28:19lumini here is uh mac hansen for chase from running on gollo gibson clark
28:39that's a great that's a great uh saying that saying the obvious thing martin isn't it unforced errors
28:45it's creeping into the creeping into the irish game and you just having a quick
29:01that's it for you okay now this is a shame who uh who will take your place he's earning only
29:09his 26th cap
29:10in 11 years so he's come and gone from the fiji squad which has been something of a problem really
29:18for fiji over
29:19the year some of their great talents haven't been available as much as they would like but
29:24the deliato kept in for the day he's going to leave us into scoring that second trial yeah he's also
29:32had telling uh both ends of the field of telling intervention into the defense as well holding
29:36gems gibson park up fighting every way every which way he could while gibson park was trying to score
29:43and uh helps helps him to knock on the ball so two two really important uh interventions for the big
29:49monday before he leaves the field same again please good height replaced by kittany salawa thank you
29:55who plays for the vijian drua they themselves playing super rugby these days so they're playing
30:03all blacks and uh and wallabies most weeks during that part of the season
30:10so as individuals if not necessarily as a collective here all these vijian players playing
30:17club rugby at the highest level crouch
30:22fine the temptation probably here for fiji is to to really go for it you really got the opportunity
30:30is playing the space can he find a space there it is voila voila asking just a bit too much
30:37of arny angolo
30:40well they're done you can see what they're trying to do in a little bit what uh sam prendergast did
30:45earlier on with the ball didn't bounce up for rob balacoon and you're getting the ball you're trying
30:49to get the open side winger to come up to engage create a little space in the backfield and drop
30:54that
30:54ball in behind and particularly with somebody who has all the pace from winey golo and of course rob
30:59balacoon defends it very very well doesn't overly commit holds the space why because he's got all that
31:04pace out there so he's able to hold longer and then there's no space for uh for him to kick
31:08into
31:09okay advantage line line out routine there from ireland they've created some space over mac
31:15hansen a spill it forward referee was playing an advantage that is the second penalty for offside
31:23one for each other line out yeah same as it was for another unforced error for for ireland and
31:31he's of all people mac hansen one of the one of the most skillful players in the in this in
31:38the team
31:38um a very run-of-the-mill kick or pass for him
31:44it was acrobatic but uh not successful for ireland and marcy
31:51yes it would appear that that's one element of the laws of the game that the referees are focusing on
31:57this november currently aren't support out last night in paris when we thought he might have got
32:03a try right on the stroke of half time against france but again he was offside from a lineup it
32:10was a well worked play wasn't it it was almost a shame it wasn't a try but ireland really really
32:14set here and they got really good body position here with the ball back into ronan keller here's
32:18hands at the back of that ball okay seven out you've lost a boy well this is that uh oh
32:27he's picked up
32:28by gibson tark
32:32and there goes himself so they're still short here or ireland
32:43another pick and go
32:47just the odd blade of doubling grass between ireland and the second score here
32:58guys i've got that short going forward a lot of players off the off the deck there so
33:03i haven't got anything there tc have you got anything
33:05um
33:17okay sure okay luke tears we're just going to check this bring his toughness worth
33:34okay so on field decision no try i've already cleared the first one there's no clear grounding
33:40and the ball goes backwards we'll go to the second one to check for a grounding so one of the
33:45loose
33:45ends has been tied up
33:55so i think we're looking for a knock on here aren't we that's where
34:03mike adamson said that as far as he was concerned it was short so no grounding
34:09well i think it's over the line but there is an arm underneath it so i think it'd be very
34:13hard to
34:14see how you're getting a clear ground in there as you see his forearm is actually under the ball
34:18but does the back of the ball touch it touch the line very hard to see you have to bear
34:24in mind the
34:25on-field decision was no try so there has to be clear evidence that it has been short and held
34:32up
34:48it's nothing clear we've got one more angle
35:01well they appear to have ruled that one out so we're now looking at a potential knock-on
35:05there's a question is it just there does it touch the line is that the line and this is the
35:11really
35:11hard bit because from the other camera it looks like the ball does touch there's no clear evidence
35:17to overrule your on-field decision the ball is held up so i had that short tackle ball um going
35:26forward
35:27because some of you that's held up correct so yeah yeah the ball is held up on the lane all
35:36right so
35:36we're going to the goal line drop out
35:41i suppose you you've also got to go back to the actual mall and it was moving forward it was
35:47going
35:47forward in the right way gibson park ends up having to uh having to split out and they just have
35:52to be a
35:52little bit more disciplined there and stay in that mall a little bit longer
35:58and brian
36:03brendergast very very high great hang time golla bolla doesn't take it cleanly it's there for ireland
36:10hampson on to timoney timoney off odes this time to the fellow olsterman that's mccluski
36:22tygburn the captain brendergast once more plenty of space the defense cranked it
36:29mac hansen getting through at least one tackle brendergast calling for it he's got it he's
36:35floating it out to balacoon and it was the vision there of the fly half he knew where balacoon was
36:41all
36:42he had to do was to receive it and deliver it and he did it perfectly yeah a good work
36:48rate from ireland
36:49they got numbers around the corner so when that ball gets into sam prendergast's hands he's got three
36:55players in his hand but this is a great spot my initial thought was it was too high he was
36:59too sorry
37:00not too high he was too deep but great contest from ireland they win the breaking ball but look at
37:05this
37:05when he gets into prendergast hands two players there holding the outside defenders tommy o'brien that's work
37:11great coming off the far wing just has to stand there and that keeps um one in golo uh interested
37:17and then the ball over the top for the for the uh the walk-in for the speedster
37:25and that man there he saw the opportunity
37:32well he has missed one and uh that certainly was unlucky 13 i guess you'd say after 12 straight
37:40successes it's a serious miscue but the vision the peripheral vision to know where the play was
37:48and where balacoon all he needed was the ball didn't even have to break a sweat
37:54and martin it's a i was actually that's an important try for ireland as well because when
37:58they've been running into contact when they've been looking for i suppose bodies to run into it they
38:04haven't been winning those collisions so that's the letting the ball do the work is is is working for
38:09them 12 points apiece we've been playing half an hour in dublin
38:16one pass off the left hand again from prendergast here's mcclosky
38:24canterock's good good counter up there from the fijians they have it
38:31got a value side entry number 12 white penalty advantage being played now to
38:37the fijians they have the free hit and they've got one or two men over it can't even up to
38:44the 22.
38:45here's lumini coming in at speed there's bitunayata lumini again that time it's masila sila
38:57the advantage four outside has hit some incredible lines today just that
39:03ability to run between defenders and just carrying them literally over the game line
39:08three offenses from ireland in this single phase of play okay i think there's going to be a warning
39:15on account of that three there offside in the side on the counter up by 12 and also swinging around
39:24at
39:24the ruck all right discipline under pressure down here okay please needs to improve where do you want
39:29there's one in here and offside or you've got one back there just here okay number four offside
39:39three white sorry
39:43three white
39:50shift across this time two years ago when the sides
39:55last match it was here island were already away and clear and they ended up putting more than 50
40:01points on the fijians
40:04it wasn't the best throw but it may well work and there goes tangy and tangy has got the try
40:14i think
40:15they're going to check it that but that may well have worked for the vijians
40:21so it just just take the same with an on-field try we need to check a knock on
40:26at the line okay mikey there well that's the other assistant damon murphy
40:32on field decision try checking for knock on in the lineup please okay on field decision try checking
40:39for a knock on in the lineup
40:46i'm gonna see the seal who was the target here with the throw he was missed
41:00this is going to be a try it absolutely is and james ryan would have been it would have been
41:04a penalty for
41:05hands on the uh on the hands on the catcher
41:24so tangy tangy gets the run in this will be the best angle angus
41:35yeah it's clearly off the blue hand
41:41who i say
41:45the hands there are they so in the sealer
41:51by james ryan's very lucky there because he clearly has his hand on
41:55uh it was this uh yeah i see the sealers uh as he's going to catch it so if we've
42:01brushed over
42:01that which is fine and so ireland with a with a defensive scrum here and a little bit of a
42:06lead out there but one of the things i was thinking though martin is as that was unfolding
42:09how quick fiji were to react and ireland just that little bit slower looking a little bit ponderous
42:28it's been a 24 hours of when we've seen probably one of the best test matches we've
42:34ever seen last night one of the greatest shots we've seen outside of uh one or two world cup matches
42:41like 2015 in brighton with wales ending a weight of 73 years to beat new zealand
42:53and here we are all tied up almost inside of half time
42:57yeah i'm trying to work with you you've got to keep that bind all the way through this run
43:03key point though from the uh new zealand game what their line out largely fell apart
43:08at new zealand they didn't have an opportunity to get back into the game and this is a you know
43:12from fiji everything going well so far but their scrum is really really not firing for them
43:18here's timony finding himself in the midfield
43:25powerful carry forward there from james ryan let's trend the gas once more gibson park
43:34important tackle coming in from another commander
43:41balacoon on to hansen another commander just chasing seven no
43:55no no no no making the tackle that time no no it's a rock
44:05no way through that time brand reporter okay use it just look as ireland building this uh phase to kick
44:10now give some practice look there's only one fijian body on in that rough and fiji are doing brilliantly
44:16about not burning numbers in rooks to keep them on their feet so they have plenty of numbers in defense
44:23how is it can be better mentally determined
44:31the money hoist it hansen's underneath it
44:34more play on there
44:45mondayaki with options there's bed with space balacoon comes in and changes the direction
44:53and reporter
45:00Thunder Fleer. Powerful carry. Hansen once more. Crucial intervention and there may be
45:10a chance here. There's Van N'Golo.
45:25And as he goes against Votogota, one of the youngsters in the Fiji squad.
45:31That was a series of big hits. You can see Sam Frendingas taking that.
45:36He's taking it to the line. He's fishing defenders out. That's what you want to see an attack.
45:41Tommy O'Brien again. It's a good attack from Ireland but it's bettered by the Fijian defence.
45:48That was a great defensive set from the big-hitting Fijians.
45:54Another match tomorrow in round five. Scotland against Australia. ITV1 and STV from 2 o'clock.
46:03We've got the debrief with Dan Bigger and Ronan Agarra. That's tomorrow night at 11.20.
46:09And then we've got the football. Spain and England. Here in Dublin.
46:15A chance for Ireland to get ahead just before half-time.
46:22The line-out ball which has been so productive in this nation's championship.
46:28Ireland have only scored one from it so far.
46:33Held up on the line once more. And there's obstruction.
46:39And an opportunity here for the Fijians to clear their lines.
46:42An unfortunate team emerging from Ireland. Unforced error again. Absolutely in control of that.
46:49Referee really clear with his instructions. Telling them to move it.
46:53And then we have the obstruction here because they've tried to stay in a mall that's already dead.
47:02I mean the talk about the mall tries has been ubiquitous, hasn't it?
47:06And through the first four rounds of the nation's championship, 22 have been scored.
47:13So that's almost won a match really. Ireland, well, they haven't conceded any.
47:17But thus far just one scored.
47:21They will have the litmus test next week when the South African bus arrives and rocks up.
47:28And they showed exactly what they were capable of last night in France.
47:33Correct. And that bus takes a lot of stopping, particularly from those line-up balls.
47:38Ronan Kallaha getting an opportunity to start tonight in the absence of Dan Sheehan.
47:44There's Sam Prendergast.
47:51Ryan, timing his run.
47:56His tight furlong, the birthday boy, 34 today.
48:00Look at the work rate from the Fijians up off the deck.
48:03So they're getting into that defensive line so they can really put pressure on the Irish.
48:07And the Irish attack, it's very, very one-off at the moment.
48:10Because look, again, Fiji just standing off the rook.
48:13We're not going to burn numbers in there.
48:15We're going to keep our players on the feet.
48:19Trendergast.
48:21Pondiaki goes hard and straight.
48:23Gibson Park.
48:24Now the defence beginning to look a little splintered.
48:29They've got width here as well of the Irish.
48:31Surely they must score this time.
48:33McCluskey.
48:34And it's another gift for Balakoon.
48:47It was a gift.
48:48But they had to work very, very hard for that.
48:53Came off of a great reaction from Ronan Kelleher.
48:56He sees it.
48:57First one to the ball.
48:58As it's saying, Fiji had been quicker to all the breaking balls.
49:01Ronan Kelleher gets in there and they just have the patience.
49:05Really smart plays.
49:07Sam Perenigast, he doesn't get too excited.
49:09Gets the ball.
49:10But Krushi doesn't throw the ball over the top, which might have brought the outside defender in.
49:14Gives it to Sue McCluskey.
49:15Catch pass.
49:16But they had to work for that.
49:18Fiji stayed disciplined.
49:19They stayed in the fight.
49:21And Ireland, Ireland really had to work for that one.
49:24Yes, Robert Balakoon had been a bit of a doubt during the week because of Kramp.
49:28But he had a chance there, I think, to stretch both hamstrings before he crossed the line.
49:34Oh.
49:36Another one missed by Sam Perenigast.
49:39But Rob Balakoon, first time he's scored two tries in a test match.
49:44Very productive during the Six Nations scoring.
49:50Tries against Italy, England and Scotland.
49:54But here he now has two against Fiji.
49:57It's been a very, very disciplined performance from both teams.
50:01You see the amount of penalties and yellow cards and red cards we've seen over the last three or four
50:05games
50:05has been quite substantial.
50:07And a calling card of the Fijian has been the indiscipline.
50:11But they're staying in this game.
50:15There goes Tanghi once more.
50:17They're inside the 22.
50:19Can they strike back with a final play?
50:22Can he better?
50:23Here's Lumani.
50:28That was Salawa, the replacement.
50:33There's Naseela Sela.
50:38The Ireland defence has had a chance to reorganise itself.
50:41Tanghi, Tanghi Balu that time.
50:44Trying to dent a hole.
50:45Here's Bola Bola, long pass off the right hand.
50:48Wani N'Golo, what a step.
50:50One, two, three of them.
50:54No hands.
50:55It had to be Nick Timoney.
50:57That was the one that hold on to him.
50:59He's been such an incredible player for Ireland over the last, over the last couple of games.
51:03Tackler in the way.
51:04And just talk about discipline, Martin, and that's a cheap penalty to give away.
51:08And Fiji are gonna play this one out.
51:11Well, he's going to his pocket.
51:13There was a warning.
51:15Yep.
51:15Tackler's in the way.
51:16You can't jackal.
51:19Back down here after the warning.
51:20Well, I think it's James Ryan who's been shown it.
51:22There he is.
51:30Well, this is quite an opportunity, isn't it, running the stroke of half-time.
51:37Number five in the way.
51:40Yep.
51:42Yeah, I can see where James Ryan is a little bit, I suppose, miffed with that one.
51:48Clearly on his feet, in at the break down.
51:50But I think it's just when he goes off a feet or his knee hits the ground, he has to
51:55let go straight away.
51:56And just slowing it down in that attacking position for Fiji.
52:02Perhaps a bit of South African pragmatism coming from the sideline.
52:05Jake White off his perch and now pitch side.
52:08Calling for the three.
52:11Okay.
52:11Well, it's number five.
52:13Yeah.
52:14Okay, that's all right.
52:21Ben Vola Vola is successful.
52:24The referee blows his whistle for half-time.
52:27Well, Ireland lead, three tries in that opening, 40 minutes.
52:32But you have to say, Fiji playing their best 40 minutes of the nation's championship so far.
52:40All to play for in the second half.
52:41I'm sure Andy Farrell will have plenty to say.
52:44The thoughts of Ugo and Maggie next.
52:47With Mark in the studio.
52:54From Ugo going clear and obvious, because it's not just football that's gone down the clear and obvious sinkhole.
53:00Rugby is down there as well, sucked into a never ending possibility of what is or is not possible.
53:06I'm enjoying Fiji's approach to this, aren't you?
53:09It's giving them a genuine chance.
53:10Yeah.
53:11I mean...