Ireland ran in eight tries to bid a fond farewell to the old Lansdowne Road stadium in the final international before the ground's redevelopment.
GUINNESS AUTUMN TEST: Sunday, November 26
IRELAND 61 PACIFIC ISLANDERS 17, Lansdowne Road (Att: 43,000)
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Denis Hickie, Paddy Wallace, Malcolm O'Kelly, Simon Easterby 2, Shane Horgan, Rory Best, Paul O'Connell; Cons: Wallace 6; Pens: Wallace 3
Pacific Islanders: Tries: Seru Rabeni, Lome Fa'atau, Tusi Pisi; Con: Pisi
Full-time - IRELAND 61 PACIFIC ISLANDERS 17
79 mins: IRELAND TRY! Ireland round out a very satisfactory final day at the old Lansdowne Road as from a close-in lineout, O'Connell drives over for Ireland's eighth try. Confirmation of the grounding comes from the TV match official. Wallace's conversion attempt is wayward but it will not stop the crowd from celebrating a memorable win - Ireland 61 Pacific Islanders 17
78 mins: Young Fitzgerald's debut is over - Ronan O'Gara is on for the last few minutes, with Wallace going to full-back. Not surprisingly Wallace has been announced as the Guinness man-of-the-match.
75 mins: IRELAND TRY! Replacement hooker Best barges over for Ireland's seventh try. Boss did all the hard work, breaking through the cover defence and almost making the line, but the Tokoroa-born player did excellently to pop a pass back for the supporting Best to dive in. Wallace's conversion pings back off the post and his perfect record is gone - Ireland 56 Pacific Islanders 17
73 mins: O'Sullivan rings the changes with Rory Best, Donncha O'Callaghan and Denis Leamy, who turns 25 tomorrow, getting on for caps. Sheahan, O'Kelly and Heaslip are the players to make way.
68 mins: PACIFIC ISLANDERS TRY! Plenty of holes in the Irish defence as out-half Pisi dives in at the left corner for a try. The barrel-chested Tuilagi made a 50-metre dash before Fitzgerald gotacrss to bring him to ground. However, the subsequent ruck saw Pisi, juggling the ball but still maintaining enough control, get in. The try scorer's conversion attempt tailed away to the left - Ireland 51 Pacific Islanders 17
63 mins: IRELAND TRY! Ireland notch their sixth try and it is a second for the hard-working Easterby. The Irish number 6 was shunted over in the left corner, with O'Connell and O'Kelly driving him on, after a couple of good attacks by Heaslip and Stringer, who did well to slot in at scrum half when Stringer was scragged to the deck. Wallace certainly has his kicking boots on - it is the Ballymena clubman's best conversion from wide out on the left - Ireland 51 Pacific Islanders 12
61 mins: John Hayes has been replaced by Simon Best in Ireland's front row, with the Ulster prop, back from his ankle break, looking for game-time at Test level. The Islanders have sprung Epi Taione, Taufa'ao Felise and Ace Ratuva from their bench.
60 mins: There is the unusual sight of Ulster scrum half Isaac Boss lining out on Ireland's right wing. The reason? O'Driscoll has been forced off - the switch is precautionary with the Irish skipper nursing a leg injury. Horgan and D'Arcy form Ireland's centre partnership now.
57 mins: The Islanders are denied their third try by a forward pass - Tuilagi was over the line but Fa'atau's final pass, with Horgan getting back to put pressure on, was ruled forward.
55 mins: Lovely hands from O'Driscoll and Horgan put Fitzgerald into space but the former Blackrock College student is crowded out and pushed into touch inside the Islanders' 22. O'Kelly robs the lineout ball, but knocks on as an opportunity for his second try goes abegging.
53 mins: IRELAND TRY! Horgan gets in for a deserved try. Stringer tees it up with a deft crossfield kick out to the right flank where the big Drogheda man collects it, benefiting from a favourable bounce. The Islanders' defence is slack as Horgan bounces off Rabeni's tackle and a slip from Ratuvou allows the Irish number 12 to scoot in from 20 metres out. Wallace adds the extras - Ireland 44 Pacific Islanders 12
45 mins: IRELAND TRY! The scrum ball is worked out to O'Driscoll and he offloads in midfield for the supporting Simon Easterby. The Llanelli flanker, driven on by O'Connell, powers over the line, to the left of the posts, for Ireland's fourth try. Wallace again converts to maintain his 100% kicking stats - Ireland 37 Pacific Islanders 12
44 mins: A high tackle on Horgan from Leicester's Alesana Tuilagi, who is on as a replacement, gives Ireland a lineout ten metres from the visitors' line. Two phases later a crooked scrum feed hands Ireland a close-in penalty - they opt for a scrum.
Second Half: Kick-Off: Pisi restarts the game, with Jamie Heaslip receiving for Ireland. Coach Eddie O'Sullivan has made one change at the break with Dempsey off and Gordon D'Arcy on. D'Arcy will link back up with O'Driscoll at centre, Horgan goes to the flank and newcomer Fitzgerald is now in his preferred position of full-back.
...Ireland's debutant flanker Stephen Ferris powers forward...
Half-time - IRELAND 30 PACIFIC ISLANDERS 12
40 mins: IRELAND TRY! Further breathing space for Ireland as the half comes to a close. A brilliant kick to touch from O'Driscoll sees the Islanders forced to win their own lineout ball, five metres from their line. Hooker Aleki Lutui cannot find his man, Malcolm O'Kelly plucks the ball out of the sky and plunges over for his eighth Test try. Wallace's conversion, from a harder angle out on the left, is good and the last action of the first half. It takes his personal tally to 20 points - Ireland 30 Pacific Islanders 12
38 mins: IRELAND TRY! Wallace nabs the try he has been looking for. Stringer passes to his half-back partner who steps off his right and speeds through a midfield gap - flanker Ma'ama Molitika was badly caught out - and dots down to the right of the posts. The number 10's conversion attempt is good - Ireland 23 Pacific Islanders 12
36 mins: Play is halted for four minutes after a heavy tackle from Rabeni on Dempsey. The Leinster full-back is down receiving treatment for a bang on the arm, but is fit enough to continue. The Islanders are forced into their second permanent replacement as centre Elvis Seveali'i, with what looks like a shoulder injury, is replaced by London Irish's Seilala Mapasua.
34 mins: PACIFIC ISLANDERS TRY! From a position where they were on the attack, Ireland fall asleep to let the Islanders in for their second try. Fa'atau gets over for his first points for the Islanders. Brian O'Driscoll sets up a trundle forward for Bryan Young but the move peters out and Wallace turns over possession close to halfway. Replacement prop Taufa'ao Felise takes it on and makes 15 metres before offloading for the supporting Fa'atau to romp home - Ireland's defence around the fringes has been poor. Pisi misses the convert - Ireland 16 Pacific Islanders 12
30 mins: PACIFIC ISLANDERS YELLOW CARD! Persistent infringing sees the Islanders down to 14 men. Glasgow-based prop Justin Va'a is the offender. The tourists have been forced to make a change at scrum half with the injured Mosese Rauluni making way for Junior Poluleuligaga.
27 mins: Wallace misses out on a try to crown his first start. The Ulsterman was away and in behind the posts but referee Christophe Berdos called him back as Horgan's final pass was ruled to be forward. Wallace broke through the Islanders' midfield initially, setting up ruck position ten metres out. Both Horgan and O'Connell had dips at the line before Wallace was sent through again.
26 mins: IRELAND PENALTY! Wallace makes it four kicks out of four after Islanders skipper Raiwaului is pinged for coming in at the side of a ruck on the visitors' 22 - Ireland 16 Pacific Islanders 7
23 mins: There is a distinct lack of intensity about the game so far. Ireland are in the driving seat in terms of possession and territory, but are finding it hard to gel with the nine changes from last week. However, a booming touch finder from Hickie sets them off into the Islanders' 22 and raises the tempo again.
21 mins: Pisi misses a lengthy penalty, sending his kick away to the left of the posts, after debutant flanker Stephen Ferris was pinged for coming in at the side of a ruck.
16 mins: IRELAND PENALTY! Wallace converts a simple penalty after the tourists were found offside at a ruck. A lack of discipline is costing Pat Lam's men - Ireland 13 Pacific Islanders 7
14 mins: Irish full-back Girvan Dempsey should have done better with a chance in the left-hand corner, but his pass to Hickie, who seemed set to score his second try, is a slack one and Fa'atau covers well.
12 mins: PACIFIC ISLANDERS TRY! Leicester centre Seru Rabeni cuts in from the left wing for a try for the Islanders, after a beautifully-judged chip and chase by winger Kameli Ratuvou. Full-back Norman Ligairi began the attack, he darted forward before offloading to Ratuvou who fielded his own kick ahead and passed for Rabeni to hare in. Tusi Pisi converts from in front of the posts - Ireland 10 Pacific Islanders 7
10 mins: The Islanders almost set up their first real attack. Out-half Tusi Pisi, standing in midfield off a scrum, sends out a lovely weighted kick to the right flank where Lome Fa'atau is lurking but the Wellington winger, in plenty of space, drops the ball.
8 mins: IRELAND PENALTY! A strong burst by Horgan sets up a penalty for Wallace who thumps it over, right-sided from outside the tourists' 22 - Ireland 10 Pacific Islanders 0
2 mins: IRELAND TRY! An expectant crowd did not have long to wait for the first Ireland try. Denis Hickie sails over for his second try in the space of a week, and his 27th in all. Great early possession play from the Irish, with Paul O'Connell and Shane Horgan popping up as willing carriers. From a ruck inside the Islanders' 22, Peter Stringer feeds Wallace and his lovely pop pass off his right shoulder is gobbled up by Hickie who charges over to the right of the posts. Wallace converts for his first international points - Ireland 7 Pacific Islanders 0
First Half: Kick-Off: Paddy Wallace, making his first start for Ireland, gets the game up and running. Raiwalui takes in the Ulsterman's kick for the visitors.
...The scene at Lansdowne Road on a dark day in Dublin...
Pre-Match: 2.44pm: The Islanders perform their traditional war dance, 'Siva Tau', which gets an excellent response from Lansdowne. The Irish team and replacements lined up to face it on the halfway line.
2.40pm: The Garda Band, the Army No. 1 Band and the Baldonnell Singers combine for rousing renditions of 'Amhran na bhFiann' and 'Ireland's Call.'
2.39pm: It is sure to be an emotional experience as Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll, with two young mascots in tow, runs out at the old stadium for the last time. The Irish team, including debutants Stephen Ferris, Luke Fitzgerald and Jamie Heaslip, dart out behind him.
2.37pm: Saracens' Fijian lock Simon Raiwalui, captaining the Islanders for the third time, leads the tourists out onto the Lansdowne Road pitch. There is generous applause from the home fans.
IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey; Luke Fitzgerald, Brian O'Driscoll (capt), Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie; Paddy Wallace, Peter Stringer; Bryan Young, Frankie Sheahan, John Hayes, Malcolm O'Kelly, Paul O'Connell, Simon Easterby, Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Rory Best, Simon Best, Donncha O'Callaghan, Denis Leamy, Isaac Boss, Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'Arcy.
PACIFIC ISLANDERS: Norman Ligairi; Lome Fa'atau, Seru Rabeni, Elvis Seveali'i, Kameli Ratuvou; Tusi Pisi, Mosese Rauluni; Justin Va'a, Aleki Lutui, Tevita Taumoepeau, Simon Raiwauli (capt), Daniel Leo, Ma'ama Molitika, Nili Latu, Hale T-Pole.
Replacements: Mahonri Schwalger, Taufa'ao Felise, Epi Taione, Aca Ratuva, Junior Poluleuligaga, Seilala Mapasua, Alesana Tuilagi.
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
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