'Gutted for him': Ireland's costly victory
REACTION: Ireland are likely to be without utility back Jamie Osborne for the final Nations Series match against Australia in seven days times.
Head coach Andy Farrell has been left counting the cost of their 52-17 victory over Fiji in Dublin as injuries to Osborne and Jacob Stockdale overshadowed what was a commanding display.
While Ireland were very much in the driving seat from the get-go at HQ, there were some ferocious collisions being exchanged with Mick Byrne’s Pacific Nations Cup champions.
Osborne exited after just 27 minutes of action, while Stockdale was forced off early in the second half due to a tight hamstring, leaving head coach Andy Farrell sweating on their fitness ahead of next weekend’s autumn finale against Australia.
“Jamie is an abductor, so that doesn’t look right,” Farrell told the post-match press conference.
Depending on its severity, Osborne could be out of action for three to six weeks, which will affect his availability for Leinster as they head in the opening rounds of the Champions Cup.
There was also bad news for Stockdale, who was making his return to the Ireland match-day squad for the first time since a Rugby World Cup warm-up game against Italy last year.
“He pulled up sharp there,” said Farrell of Stockdale’s withdrawal after 49 minutes.
“It’s the hamstring. I was gutted for him.”
Ireland delivered a much-improved performance after an unconvincing start to the series. Gus McCarthy celebrated a dream debut with a try, while Mack Hansen scored twice in a match where seven players crossed the whitewash for the hosts.
The Pacific Islanders, who had Caleb Muntz adding seven points, offered resistance with tries from Kitione Salawa and Setareki Turagacoke but were ultimately outclassed.
Ireland now face an anxious wait on medical updates as they prepare to close out their autumn campaign against Joe Schmidt’s in-form Wallabies.
