World Junior Championship, ninth-place semi-final: Ireland Under-20s 24 Fiji Under-20s 19Fiji had never beaten Ireland in a World Junior Championship match but came very close to ending that sequence here.Andrew Browne’s side just about clung on at the death, but once again it was a misshapen, error strewn display.In spite of that, this young Ireland side showed character. Stand-in captain Josh Neill was a standout performer and Daniel Green made pivotal contributions with his unerring accuracy off the kicking tee.But while there was no faulting their collective and individual work ethic, a lack of accuracy and composure made for a fraught occasion. Ireland will now face Italy in their final game of the tournament on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm Irish time) with the winner claiming ninth place. Ireland lost captain Sami Bishti in the warm-up while outhalf Charlie O’Shea was ruled out with an ankle issue, on top of Noah Byrne, Tom Wood, Dylan McNeice and James O’Dwyer – all returned home prematurely with injuries. Daniel Ryan got Ireland off to a perfect start when Donnacha McGuire set his team-mate free down the short side from a ruck. The winger had plenty to do, but made a delightful chip and had the pace to regather and beat the Fijian defence to score. Ireland received a couple of warnings that Fiji were sharp to pick-and-go through the ruck or on the fringes, and they were caught napping soon after. Scrumhalf Isikeli Bari Ratu finished off a line-break and tagged on the conversion to make it 7-7.Ireland regained the lead from a five-metre scrum. On a re-set, number eight Diarmuid O’Connell shot off the back and powered over the line. Green added the conversion.Ireland’s Daniel Green in action during the Junior World Championship game against Fiji. Photograph: Levan Verdzeuli/Inpho Ireland’s lineout, which has suffered malfunctions throughout the tournament, saw them give up wholesale turnovers once again, and then a scrum error when Christopher Barrett knocked on at the base of the ruck deep inside the 22 culminated in a try for Sailosi Taka.To compound matters, Joe Finn departed to the sin bin for a high shot soon after, but Ireland limped to the interval with a slender 14-12 lead.Centre James O’Leary scored a try, converted by Green, to push Ireland out to a 21-12 lead soon after the restart, but the second half degenerated into a morass of errors as Fiji lost two players to yellow cards and Ireland coughed up one lineout after another.Ireland also had two tries chalked off – the first for a knock-on in the build-up, the second for an illegal block – and turned down a simple penalty which would have kept the scoreboard ticking, summing up the performance.A try from winger Apete Rokosuka following another hatful of Irish mistakes, and the conversion by Netani Lesimaikimatuku brought Fiji within two points with six minutes remaining.Green’s penalty with 90-seconds left should have eased Ireland to the win, but a final turnover and a yellow card for Harry Waters gave Fiji one last opportunity. They lost out on a technicality; an extra man joined the lineout leaving referee Gonzalo de Achaval to award a free kick.The final whistle, two hours and seven minutes after the game started, was a merciful relief. SCORING SEQUENCE – 11 MINS: Ryan try, Green con 7-0; 13: Bari Ratu try, Bari Ratu conv 7-7; 21: O’Connell try, Green con 14-7; 34: Taka try 14-12; Half-time: 14-12; 43: O’Leary try, Green con 21-12; 73: Rokosuka try, Lesimaikimatuku con 21-19; 78: Green pen 24-19IRELAND: C Molony; J O’Sullivan, J Deegan, J O’Leary, D Ryan, D Green, C Barrett; M Doyle, D Maguire, B McClean; J Finn, D McGuire; J Neill (capt), A Lautsou, D O’Connell. Replacements: H Waters for Ryan (HIA, 17-27 mins), C Keane for Lautsou, S Walsh for McGuire (both 54), R Handley for Maguire (59), S David Walsh for O’Leary (60), A Cooper for Doyle, J Conway for McClean (both 64), Waters for O’Sullivan (66). Yellow cards: Finn (38 mins), Waters (79).FIJI: T Vuniwaqa Ledua; A Rokosuka, S Taka, F Tuvalu, J Draiva; C Maurice, I Bari Ratu; M Koroi, RO Dasalusalu, R Navunikaba; F Peters, S Turagacoke (capt); I Koroinawai, M Tabuakoto, R Epeli Roseruvakula. Replacements: S Vakauliafa for Navunikaba (HIA, 39-40 mins; 58), S Savenaca for Tabuakoto (46), T Gadolo for Dasalusalu, N Lesimaikimatuku for Maurice (both 61), I Rauluni for Koroi (62), M Nauvasi for Taka (63), RA Naevo for Peters (64), S Qabale for Roseruvakula (69).Yellow card: Roseruvakula (58 mins), Tuvalu (68). Referee: G de Achaval (ARG).