Jake White: Fiji Did Ireland a Favour Before South Africa Springboks Game

White warns Ireland after Fiji test

Jake White, who took South Africa to World Cup glory in 2007 and was appointed Fiji boss last month, said Fiji had “done Ireland a favour” in Saturday’s Nations Championship match. Ireland face the Springboks in Dublin next week.

Ireland scored 26 unanswered points after the break, but White said they could not afford similar slow spells against the back-to-back world champions. He said Ireland knew they would be “up against it” if they played that way against South Africa.

Fiji’s choice at a key moment

White was frustrated that Fiji chose a tap penalty rather than a scrum when the match was in the balance. He argued that South Africa would back themselves to take repeated scrums or choose a kick to the corner and a line-out.

White suggested Ireland’s team selection was intended to make them more ready for the following week. He said changing the team would have left them “one game shy” of facing South Africa.

Farrell says lessons were learned

Asked about White’s comments, Ireland coach Andy Farrell said the team had learned useful lessons and would try to apply them next week. He was pleased with the win and its scoreline, but said it flattered Ireland somewhat.

Farrell noted that Ireland had been five points behind after 25 minutes against a Fiji side playing well. He added that wins earned under pressure were precious.

Injury rules back-row player out

An Ulster back-row player came off the bench and made two major carries before leaving with a head injury. The 23-year-old will miss the match against South Africa. The article quotes praise for the brief cameo, describing it as potentially the best three-and-a-half-minute debut in Irish history.