Qualifying Final
Fiji 30 d. Ireland 14

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Location: International > Nations > First Grade Competition: World Cup

Kelly looks ahead to Ireland's Qualifying Final against Fiji
Sat November 8, 2008
Source: www.emeraldrugby.com

Manus Lappin spoke Ireland Head Coach Andy Kelly ahead of Ireland's Rugby League World Cup semi-final qualifier against Fiji on Monday.

Performance during pool stages
"We were delighted with how the players performed against Tonga and Samoa, they were fantastic. Against Tonga it was a bit of a learning experience for many of the players. That game served to highlight some areas in our game that we needed to work on. As a team we identified the key areas and made some amendments, which we were able to bring to the Samoa game.

"I cant speak highly enough about the squad in particular their work ethic and how receptive they have been."

Looking forward to Fiji
"We have looked at their games against France and Scotland, and that will continue as we head towards the game to make sure the players are fully aware of the prowess of this Fijian side.

"Again we know there is going to be a challenge in terms of the physicality of the game but having come through tough tests against Samoa and Tonga, that wont be a surprise to us, we've just got to make sure we are prepared to cope with whatever football they throw at us."

Whets the feeling in the camp ahead of Fiji game
"The feeling is we have got to go back to basics, and concentrate on getting the hard work done before we can start dreaming about a semi-final against Australia. We don't want to get caught out by being complacent.

"We understand that the Fijians are a good side, and in qualifying they have came through a similar route as ourselves, being un-fancied and the surprise package, so when we meet them we want to make sure we go through the process without looking too far ahead.

"The spirit in the camp is fantastic, the players are really a tight knit group, and in terms of the management team, the players have thrived in this environment."

Injury update
"The biggest problem we have had is with Graham Holroyd (Halifax) who has really struggled to make the games, which is really unfortunate because I think he could have contributed a lot but as it stands now the injury has taken that away from him. But other than Graham, which is an injury we have been coping with from the early stages, there is nobody else that would really concern me."

Pat Richards
"Pat has been in tremendous form. We were without Pat for the qualifying games due to an injury he was carrying, picked up while playing for Wigan, but thankfully he took the time to get the injury sorted out and he is back in fantastic form."

Support from back home
"We have all been blown away with the messages of support coming from back home. When the players get a spare moment they go to the RLI website and get a real feel for the support and momentum being generated. Parents, friends and family are also keeping us abreast of the coverage coming through from back home and that support means a lot to us all."

Source: www.emeraldrugby.com

Rleague.com thanks Manus Lappin for sending across the news.



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RESULTS THUS FAR
England 32 d Papua New Guinea 22 - Stats | Reports | Forum
France 36 d Scotland 18 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Australia 30 d New Zealand 6 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Tonga 22 d Ireland 20 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Samoa 20 d Tonga 12 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Fiji 42 d France 6 - Stats | Reports | Forum
New Zealand 48 d Papua New Guinea 6 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Australia 52 d England 4 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Ireland 34 d Samoa 16 - Stats | Reports | Forum
Scotland 18 d Fiji 16 - Stats | Reports | Forum

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