Ireland battle back to edge out Wallabies as Farrell signs off
RELIF: Ireland players celebrate as Gus McCarthy scores a try. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Ireland spoiled Joe Schmidt’s return to Dublin to end their Autumn Nations Series campaign on a high as Andy Farrell signed off for his British & Irish Lions sabbatical by scoring a psychological blow against Australia ahead of next summer’s three-Test series Down Under.
It was an uplifting end to this four-game set at Aviva Stadium that had begun with a below-par defeat to New Zealand and gradually improved through victories over Argentina and Fiji.
Ireland still did not find top gear against a tough Wallabies side revitalised by Schmidt but deserved this victory in the IRFU 150th Anniversary match on Saturday as veteran loosehead prop Cian Healy came off the bench for his Irish-record 134th appearance.
Second-half tries from captain Caelan Doris and replacement hooker Gus McCarthy got Ireland over the line in a tight and closely fought contest after Australia had led 13-5 at the break following a cagey opening 40 minutes, highlighted by a go-ahead try for Wallabies wing Max Jorgensen with Josh van der Flier replying, while Aussie fly-half Noah Lolesio outkicked Irish rookie Sam Prendergast by eight points to nil in the first half.
The home side had made the early running, returning scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park catching the Wallabies napping with a sharply-taken scrum free-kick, the ball fed to full-back Hugo Keenan whose pace took him from the 22 to three metres out after cutting inside a wrong-footed defensive line. Alas for the Irish the dream start was denied by a knock-on in contact and Australia took the initiative.
Fly-half Noah Lolesio opened the scoring on nine minutes after a high hit from Joe McCarthy on opposing captain Harry Wilson and then went 10-0 up on 18 minutes as Ireland were stretched on their tryline after centre and Rugby League convert Joseph Suaalii claimed a Lolesio high ball. Ireland were moved to their left, where Sam Prendergast made a try-saving tackle before the attack was shifted to the other edge where left wing Max Jorgensen ran in unopposed for the opening try, Lolesio converting.
It took just five minutes for Ireland to respond, when Rob Valenti went into contact with a leading elbow on Mack Hansen. Prendergast, denied the chance of a quick tap by referee Andrea Piardi, kicked to the corner and the pack won a further penalty after a collapsed maul. The ensuing lineout went off the top and after a drive in midfield to the posts, the Irish struck off the next phase, Gibson-Park finding Josh van der Flier for powerful finish from short range. Prendergast missed what looked to have been a straightforward conversion from close to the posts and Australia widened their lead once more through another Lolesio penalty on 32 minutes.
Prendergast did narrow the Australian three minutes into the second period as veteran prop James Slipper was caught on the wrong side of a ruck, the rookie fly-half nailing a penalty from the 10-metre line to make it a five-point game at 13-8. It proved the spark Ireland and a previously low-key full house badly needed as Ireland went looking for their opening try.
Keenan made an excellent chase to claim a Prendergast aerial bomb and Ireland won a penalty soon after in the left corner, the home side crossing the line soon after as captain Caelan Doris crashed over on 49 minutes to level the scores. Prendergast’s conversion pushed Ireland in front for the first time, but not for long, Australia retaking the lead six minutes later through a Lolesio penalty after replacement prop Tom O’Toole was pinged for a ruck infringement. The fly-half added another three points from just inside the Irish half on 62 minutes to push the score to 19-15 to the visitors, Doris the latest to fall foul of the referee’s ruck interpretations.
Ireland’s third-quarter momentum was slowly dissipating and Farrell sensed it was time to change the narrative, emptying the rest of his bench on 65 and 66 minutes as he replaced his half-backs, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, to a huge roar, on for Gibson-Park and Prendergast followed by hooker Gus McCarthy for his second cap and Cian Healy for his 134th as he passed the mark he had shared for a fortnight with a watching and applauding Brian O’Driscoll.
Ireland almost scored instantly, a lineout drive held up over the line by a resilient Australian maul defence. Yet the Wallabies were in retreat, full-back Tom Wright conceding a five-metre lineout on 72 minutes as he ran out a Crowley kick into the corner.
Finally they found their breakthrough, the newly-introduced hooker McCarthy grounding the ball from the ensuing lineout maul and Crowley kicking the conversion from wide out to the left as Ireland hit the front once more at 22-19 entering the final five minutes.
The Wallabies had proven their ability to stay in the hunt by snatching a late victory over England at Twickenham earlier in the month and Ireland managed the endgame well as they kept the men in gold pinned in their own half, holding out their opponents with a decisive stand on the halfway line as the clock passed 80 minutes, an Aussie knock-on ending the contest as Ireland celebrations got underway.
: H Keenan; M Hansen, R Henshaw, B Aki (G Ringrose, 55), J Lowe; S Prendergast (J Crowley, 65), J Gibson-Park (C Casey, 65); A Porter (C Healy, 66), R Kelleher (G McCarthy, 66), F Bealham (T O’Toole, 53); J McCarthy (I Henderson, 53), J Ryan (P O’Mahony, 53); T Beirne, J Van der Flier, C Doris – captain.
T Wright; A Kellaway (H Potter, 78), J Suaalii, L Ikitau, M Jorgensen; N Lolesio (T Edmed, 74-76, Lolesio - HIA), J Gordon (T McDermott, 61); J Slipper (I Kailea, 50), B Paenga-Amosa (B Pollard, 56), T Tupou (A Alaalatoa, 45); N Frost, J Williams (L Salakaia-Loto, 59); R Valetini (L Gleeson, 74), F McReight, H Wilson – captain.
: Andrea Pirardi (Italy).
