FIJI made a compelling case to prove how you can't underestimate any of the marauding islanders at the Rugby League World Cup.

And The Bati certainly gave England cause to look over their shoulders as far as their second-place qualification spot in Group A is concerned with a comprehensive mauling of Ireland in Rochdale.

An awesome pack with the stopping power of a herd of rampaging wildebeest is belied by a deftness of touch where it matters, as the whipped Wolfhounds can attest.

Just a simple cut-out ball from a seemingly innocous attack put Akuila Uate over in the corner after just nine minutes and sent the flag-flying Fijians, dotted around Spotland, into raptures.

One of the seminal tales in rugby league folklore, stretching back to the early 60s, it is nearly impossible to underestimate how many Fijians of all shapes and sizes, from the merely broad to the truly hulking, live in and around Rochdale.

And the island faithful's fervour was further stoked as a probing kick by Aaron Groom bobbled up off an Irish defender, leaving Kevin Naiqama to react first and dive over.

Ireland persisted and held their nerve for former Warrington Wolves star Tyrone McCarthy to force his way over.

What followed was perhaps a spell which will see a better-organised side than the Irish punish the islanders.

Shortly after referee Phil Bentham had choked them off for trying to plant opposing full-back Scott Grix into the sub-soil, and warned their forwards for hunting more heads than a crazed Victorian game enthusiast, the whole Fijian outfit was put on a team warning.

And so it fell to Eloni Vunakece to put his hand up for the almost-inevitable 10-minute breather on 35 minutes, with another head-high shot.

This failed to galvanise the Irish though, with Wigan's Pat Richards spurning a clear-cut chance to capitalise off the next set. And with a simple penalty from Naiqma at the other end, it was 12-4 to the Fijians at the break.

The tail-end of Storm St Jude (or some fairly routine northern rain for anyone outside the Home Counties) may well have evened up the odds in the early second-half exchanges.

But Grix spilled a bomb for Tariq Sims to pick up the free gift and tries for his brother Korbin and Uate's second beforehand, killed it off as a contest.

The ever-lively Uate was to go on to complete his hat-trick, filibustering his way over despite the attentions of the entire Irish left edge, before Damien Blanch rescued some dignity, chasing James Mendeika's kick for a final score of 32-14.

Once again off the pitch you couldn't fault the proceedings - a rugby league record crowd of 8,872 watched the affair in Rochdale and local schoolchildren and dancers sang and pranced their hearts out.

And the play-off winning Rochdale Hornets were enlisted to deliver the matchball, much to their supporters' delight.

Each set of players took time out at the end to shake hands and pose for pics with the rain-drenched support, for which the disappointed Irish in particular deserve credit. And you could see how much it meant to the Fijians, in front of a partisan following, to clinch the win.

Whether Fiji has the discipline to overcome the watching Steve McNamara's men remains to be seen. But it should be quite tasty come November 9 in Hull.