Rugby World Cup 2019: Ireland overcome Bundee Aki red card to secure quarter-final place

Ireland 47-5 Samoa: Ireland will play either New Zealand or South Africa in the quarter-finals after easing to victory in Fukuoka

Ireland secured a quarter-final showdown with either champions New Zealand or South Africa with a bonus-point win against Samoa, despite playing the majority of the game with 14 men.

Bundee Aki was sent off against the country of his heritage for a high tackle to the head of fly-half Ulupano Seuteni in the 29th minute.

But the loss of the centre did not knock Ireland off their stride, as they ran in seven tries against a defensively suspect Samoa.

With Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton starting together for the 55th time, equalling the Ireland record set by Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara, the stage was set for a big evening for the half backs. And it was Sexton – a player around whom this Irish team increasingly gravitates – who came to the fore.

The fly-half scored two first-half tries, including the bonus-point sealing score, and collected am 18-point haul.

The stiff gusts that at times swept across Hakatanomori Stadium were a reminder of the far harsher weather that Typhoon Hagibis was bringing further north east. And Ireland aimed to exploit the conditions with a strategy of relentless kicking in the opening minutes.

Samoa were singing in the changing rooms after their final training session before this game. But their performance hit a flat note in just the fourth minute, when the Samoa pack was shunted backwards with ominous ease by a lineout drive that Rory Best finished.

The Pacific Islanders then lost hooker Seilala Lam to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Jacob Stockdale. Tadhg Furlong then steam-rollered his way over the try-line – but not before delivering a little show-and-go that’s not usually part of a tighthead’s repertoire.

When Sexton scored Ireland’s third it looked like Samoa were not only in trouble but already dead and buried. Ireland won by 31 points the last time these countries met six years ago, and for a moment that looked like a conservative estimate for this game’s winning margin.

Samoa skipper Jack Lam had other ideas, however, finishing off strong work by his pack to dot down.

Then came Aki’s dismissal. There was general sympathy around the ground for the centre. The occasion was of special significance to Aki, who was playing against the country of his ancestry. And after a display against Russia in which the ball appeared to have been the proverbial bar of soap, he had had the Samoan midfield in a lather with a series of powerful carries through midfield.

Ireland’s numerical disadvantage did not show and on the stroke of half time Sexton punched through the short-side to give Ireland a 26-5 lead at the break.

Jordan Larmour scored Ireland’s fifth try down the right on 50 minutes and with the job done Sexton kicked the conversion and left the field.

TJ Ioane, the Samoa flanker, was yellow-carded as Samoa began to buckle under the pressure of constantly defending in their own half. CJ Stander and Andrew Conway added the gloss for Ireland.

Ireland were patchy in places. Their kicking game went awry at times, as did their handling, and their scrum took too long to start firing.

Bundee Aki was sent off for a high tackle but 14-man Ireland eased past Samoa (Getty)

Joe Schmidt’s eyes will now turn to the greater Tokyo area, where Hagibis is causing destruction.

If the Japan-Scotland match is called off in Yokohama, then Japan will be awarded two points and top the pool. That would set up a quarter final for the host nation against South Africa, while champions New Zealand would await Schmidt’s side.