Ireland sign off playing fast and only slightly loose

Ireland 61 Pacific Islands 17: Different opponents, different win. A team can beat only what's put in front of them, and for the third weekend running, Ireland duly did that, albeit with the rider that this was undoubtedly the least meaningful of the victories.

In the context of saying goodbye to Lansdowne Road, Ireland were perhaps victims of the standards they had set in the previous two encounters. Long-term, as with so many of these types of romps, you wonder how much will remain in the memory bank or count in real terms.

Ireland got off to a flyer with a third-minute try, and the danger lurked that against such unstructured opponents they would fall into the trap of playing pyjama rugby.

It never quite degenerated into that but for a lengthy spell in the first half - as coach and captain admitted afterwards - Ireland did lose their way a little, becoming too lateral and indirect. In this they were possibly aware, even subconsciously, of the Islanders' famed love of the collision and fearsome desire for big hits.

They also stopped clearing the ball quickly enough and committing enough to rucks, perhaps more eager to get mitts on the ball. This left Peter Stringer unusually exposed at the base and also let the Islanders back into the game with a turnover try.

Honourable exceptions were Paul O'Connell, Shane Horgan and Brian O'Driscoll. O'Connell carried a load of ball hard and straight into contact. Jamie Heaslip also tidied up a fair amount of messy ball and acted as a focal point for some close-in driving.

Though he grew into the match and probably contributed a good deal of donkey work, Stephen Ferris left less impression and is probably more a number six or eight than an openside.

All the while Horgan, underlining his versatility at inside centre before reverting to wing, remained the back line's main focus of attack. He and O'Driscoll remain (with Gordon D'Arcy) by some distance the most effective Irish players at offloading in the tackle. Some of O'Driscoll's handling was superb but it's still a skill that needs to be developed throughout team and squad.

In the circumstances, Paddy Wallace had a very satisfying first start in the first Test out of 78 not featuring Ronan O'Gara or David Humphreys at outhalf.

The temporary lack of direction in the performance wasn't entirely down to him, and he looked what he is, a classy player with good hands and a real running threat, who landed nine from 11 to varnish his Man-of-the-Match effort with a 26-point haul. The pity is he won't be playing outhalf much again this season.

Luke Fitzgerald also looked what he is, a richly talented player at the infancy of a burgeoning career, and in his palpable eagerness to impress he appeared to overrun a few intended passes.

Eddie O'Sullivan also would have liked the 19-year-old to back himself more, as he did tellingly once in the second half. But there's loads more to come.

The suspicion also lurked that the Islanders had been hit by too many withdrawals and injuries, leaving them with last-minute call-ups and yet more revisions to already rushed lineout calls and structures. They were what you'd expect them to be - lacking cohesion and giving away too many cheap penalties but blessed with outstanding running talents capable of striking from anywhere - before wilting badly.

Sometimes you can almost start too well, and the early skirmishes might have lured the Irish into a false sense of how to go about this game. Having patiently gone through seven phases from the off, O'Connell twice setting targets, Wallace adroitly created space for Denis Hickie on his shoulder and located him with a disguised pass for the opening try.

He was also nailing his kicks, which was just as well given the Islanders outflanked the Irish defensive line with Tusi Pisi's cut-out pass to fullback Norman Ligairi for Fijian winger Kameli Ratuvou, the find of their tour, to chip Fitzgerald, gather and offload for Seru Rabeni to score.

Wallace was unluckily denied a try when Horgan's offload - a reprise of the start of the move following a Malcolm O'Kelly lineout steal and superb pass by Stringer - was deemed forward.

Ireland became scrappy and were punished for conceding a spate of turnovers at rucks when the pacy Lome Fa'atau began and finished a swift bout of passing.

A hush fell over the old ground during three-minute delay for treatment to Girvan Dempsey following a wincing hit by Rabeni, but it allowed Ireland to regroup and rethink. A lovely interchange by Fitzgerald and O'Driscoll and some momentum, continued by Horgan, culminated in Stringer creating the space for Wallace to sprint through and score.

O'Driscoll's clever, left-footed touchfinder in broken play - fit to grace Croke Park - enabled O'Kelly to pilfer a try off Aleki Lutu's throw and suddenly Ireland were clear by 30-12.

Given their revised direction, to play more directly and patiently, the tries steadily followed. Simon Easterby, twice helped by O'Connell, plundered two close-range efforts; Horgan brilliantly manufactured a try from an off-the-cuff crosskick by Stringer; and Isaac Boss, mightily impressive as a replacement winger, set up a try for Rory Best.

The break-out try manufactured by Rabeni, supported by Aca Ratuva (a centre obliged to play the last 20 in the back row) and finished by Tusi Pisi was as good as any in the match. But fittingly, very fittingly, O'Connell had the final say with an unstoppable trademark rumble.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 3 mins: Hickie try, Wallace con 7-0; 8: Wallace pen 10-0; 12: Rabeni try, Pisi con 10-7; 16: Wallace pen 13-7; 26: Wallace pen 16-7; 34: Fa'atau try 16-12; 38: Wallace try and con 23-12; 40: O'Kelly try, Wallace con 30-12 (half-time 30-12); 45: Easterby try, Wallace con 37-12; 53: Horgan try, Wallace con 44-12; 63: Easterby try, Wallace con 51-12; 68: Pisi try 51-17; 75: R Best try 56-17; 80: O'Connell try 61-17.

IRELAND: G Dempsey (Terenure, Leinster); L Fitzgerald (Blackrock, Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock, Leinster, captain), S Horgan (Lansdowne, Leinster), D Hickie (St Mary's, Leinster); P Wallace (Ballymena, Ulster), P Stringer (Shannon, Munster); B Young (Ballymena, Ulster), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution, Munster), J Hayes (Bruff, Munster); M O'Kelly (St Mary's, Leinster), P O'Connell (Young Munster, Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), S Ferris (Dungannon, Ulster), J Heaslip (Clontarf, Leinster).

Replacements: G D'Arcy (Lansdowne, Leinster) for Dempsey (half-time), I Boss (Ballymena, Ulster) for O'Driscoll (59 mins), S Best (Belfast Harlequins, Ulster) for Hayes (62 mins), R Best (Belfast Harlequins, Ulster) for Sheahan, D O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution, Munster) for O'Kelly, D Leamy (Cork Constitution, Munster) for Heaslip (all 74 mins), R O'Gara (Cork Constitution, Munster) for Fitzgerald (76 mins).

PACIFIC ISLANDS: N Ligairi (Brive Corrèze, France) Fiji; L Fa'atau (Wellington, NZ) Samoa, S Rabeni (Leicester , England ) Fiji, E Seveali'i (Sale , England ) Samoa, K Ratuvou (Saracens , England) Fiji; T Pisi (Massey, NZ) Samoa, M Rauluni (Saracens , England) Fiji; J Va'a (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) Samoa, A Lutui (Worcester , England) Tonga, T Taumoepeau (Worcester , England) Tonga; S Raiwalui (Saracens, England ) Fiji (captain), D Leo (Wasps, England) Samoa; M Molitika (IBM, Japan) Tonga, N Latu (Bay of Plenty) Tonga, H T-Pole (Southland, NZ) Tonga.

Replacements: J Poluleuligaga (North Harbour, NZ) Samoa for Raulini (30 mins), T Felise (Cardiff Blues, Wales) Tonga for T-Pole (31-40) and for Va'a (59 mins), S Mapasua (London Irish, England) Samoa for Seveali'i (36 mins), A Tuilagi (Leicester, England) Samoa for Ligairi (half-time), E Taione (Sanyo, Japan) Tonga for T-Pole (48 mins), A Ratuva (Massy Essone, France) Fiji for Latu (62 mins), M Schwalger (Wellington, NZ) Samoa for Lutui (76 mins).

Sinbinned: Va'a (30-40).

Referee: Christophe Berdos(France).