Mick Byrne identifies tipping point in heavy loss to Ireland

After a heavy defeat on Sunday for world number nine ranked Fiji, head coach Mick Byrne has criticized his team’s performance in Dublin.

The defeat comes after a mixed bag of results for Fiji in the Autumn Nations Series this month. The Flying Fijians racked up two confidence-boosting wins against Wales and Spain but ultimately failed to challenge both Ireland and Scotland in the past couple of weeks.

Byrne has only coached Fiji since April 2024, starting the head coaching role after a successful couple of years for Fiji Rugby, highlighted by beating some of the world's biggest rugby nations. 

The Flying Fijians started the game positively, and Byrne admits his team missed an opportunity early in the game.

“But I thought early on we were in the game, and would have liked that try, they talk about game adventures, and we would have liked that try early in the game to go across, set that up and execute it well.”

Head coach Byrne credits the way Ireland put them under pressure for long periods of the game.

“I think defensively we let a few lapses. Ireland are a good side. They're well-drilled. They had the right numbers at the right part of the field, and probably let a couple of tries in,” Byrne told the media in Dublin.

Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu believes his team worked hard in Dublin, but couldn’t reap the rewards.

“We go out there and we give our best, we train our way to be disciplined, and play the game the way we want to play, at the end of the day,” Nayacelevu said to reporters at Aviva Stadium after the 52-17 defeat.

With the Fijian national team made up of some players from the Fijian Drua Super Rugby Pacific team, Byrne suggests the Super Rugby club is helping develop players to the International level.

“To have those players come in that are training professionally, week in and week out, to join our Northern Hemisphere players that have been busting their backsides now for several years up here and doing it hard and becoming hard and rugby players.

“Some of those players have only had two years of professional rugby, so, you know, they'll be better for and then when we come together as a national team, the depth is there.

“That's going to do well for the future for Fiji rugby to have that professional side operating down in the southern hemisphere, and bringing the two groups of players together is a real good thing for the future."