Player ratings: How Ireland performed in dominant victory over Fiji
Celebrates All Aki Bundee ©inpho/ben Consuming: Fiji Picture: Against Try Ireland's His Brady
Osborne had a great chance to build on promising cameos from the Ireland bench. Initially sound under the high ball, sharp on counter-attack he was sorely disappointed at coming off injured in the 28th minute.
Hansen would have been miffed to have dropped one possible try-scoring pass as well as perplexed when a long flat pass to Izuchukwu was judged forward but thoroughly deserved to get on the scoresheet.
Ireland went for midfield muscle to ensure that they were able to stand firm against such heavyweight opponents and Henshaw fulfilled his duties in defence as well as attack.
Aki was in the role of the Great Protector, charged with shepherding the callow man inside. Bundee was all-consuming, decking the likes of massive prop, Luke Tagi, and also punching forward, on hand for a fine try.
Once a regular, this was Stockdale’s first start since before the World Cup and he was primed to continue his Ulster try-scoring. Went looking for work, popping up to cause trouble and dismayed to head off injured.
The Heir Apparent? Perhaps. The Lucky Man? For sure. Prendergast’s face as he was yellow carded for a high hit spoke of his horror that his home debut might be over after eight minutes. The 21-year-old was fortunate it wasn’t upgraded to red. Early flaws but grew into the game so, so well.
The diminutive Munster scrum-half might have been bumped and fended off by the giant Fijians but he always stayed in the fight and showed his own prowess with his super-slick service, his eye for a quick tap penalty and alert to take his try.
This was a shift at the coal-face for the Leinster loosehead, his task being to drain the energy from the legs of the opposition at the set-piece scrummage and he was true to the job at hand.
Ireland are not without depth at hooker but even so this was a marvellous chance for the Ireland U20 Grand Slam captain to show on his debut that he could live with the big boys. And he did so, (despite wobbly throwing), always busy, always involved with three assists. Very impressive.
Bealham was the cornerstone of a scrum that had the technical wherewithal to cope but which needed to stay steady and committed to set up position for the backs. Bealham did just that.
McCarthy was in his element in such a physical battle. Grappling at close quarters and putting body on the line to stem any Fijian onslaught.
The move forward meant Ireland had plenty of ball-handling potential in the pack and Beirne made himself useful time and again with good carries and constant availability.
Another debutant, another with high hopes of breaking through to the big time after several powerful performances for Ulster. Izuchukwu almost had a dream start only for his try to be chalked off but present and productive.
A classic openside performance as you might expect with van der Flier ever-present, perceptive, in the right place at the right time, his try a fitting reward.
. This was another staging post in the leadership education of Doris who needed to keep his team on-message in the face of the unique challenge posed by Fiji. A real presence, even when moving to outside centre.
Ciaran Frawley was soon into the action, looking to show off his own paces with the no.10 shirt under threat. He made a decent contribution, somehow recovering from a massive (and legal) wallop by Fiji prop, Eroni Mawi. Constantly in the wars, Frawley dealt with it well. Andy Farrell went to the bench earlyish with a swathe of subs arriving in and around the 50 minute mark, the pounding punishment meaning that Conor Muray had to do a stint on the wing. Tom O’Toole got valuable experience on the loosehead while Thomas Clarkson saw more test-level action. Ireland’s defensive shape suffered.