Earls try gives Kidney's men 10-point lead

21/11/2009 - 18:23:54
Ireland 13 Fiji 3

A try from Keith Earls helped Ireland into a 13-3 lead over Fiji at half-time in a wet and windy Dublin.

Jonathan Sexton, making his debut at fly-half, put Ireland 3-0 ahead with a penalty after eight minutes as both sides took time to get to grips with the conditions.

A perfectly judged cross-kick from Sexton then almost brought about the first try. Earls gathered the loose ball and fed Rob Kearney but he was stopped just short of the line.

Ireland did not have to wait long for a try however, Earls going over beside the posts after taking Eoin Reddan’s pass following a scrum. Sexton’s conversion put Ireland 10-0 clear.

Eventually Fiji began to secure some better possession, allowing fly-half Nicky Little to reduce the deficit to 10-3 with a well-struck penalty.

The visitors did well to hang in as Ireland were giving them increasing problems in the scrums, but the home team failed to take advantage and were then forced to defend close to their own line.

Fortunately, another big scrum which saw them push Fiji off their own ball relieved the pressure. It was only then that Ireland really began to open up.

Once again Sexton was involved, breaking out from his own half, but the move finished with Gordon D’Arcy’s pass being intercepted by Fiji full-back Norman Ligairi.

But the pressure told just before half-time with Sexton landing his second penalty to leave Ireland 13-3 clear at the interval.