It’s all over in Brisbane and after a fine first half Ireland faded somewhat in the second period. Declan Kidney’s side played a lot of rugby but were let down by errors at crucial stages. A few positives to take out of it considering the amount of men missing but the Wallabies are missing plenty of established performers as well. A disappointing end to a disappointing tour and plenty of this Irish squad will be delighted to be heading off on holiday after a long season. Final score in Brisbane, Australia 22-15 Ireland.
Full Time
Gone past the 80 minutes and Australia have a penalty to kick to touch and end the game.
Australia camped in Ireland’s 22 and making a few late changes to upset Ireland’s momentum.
Cooper misses and Ireland have four minutes to do something
Australia awarded a penalty in kicking range for Cooper but O’Leary was fouled against first and the ref took no action. This could be the end for Ireland…
Ireland with just over six minutes to come back. They haven’t been close to a try in the second half so they need to try something different.
Brian O’Driscoll with another mistake for Ireland trying to put Paddy Wallace away in midfield. I cursed him when I said he looked happier earlier on I’m sure of it.
Damien Varley and Dan Tuohy on for Ireland. Tuohy was on earlier but only as a blood replacement.
Ireland under 20 international Rhys Ruddock on for Ireland instead of Chris Henry.
Another penalty, this time from Geordan Murphy, fails to make touch. Too ambitious in trying to get greater distance and Ireland are under pressure once again.
Quade Cooper looks so dangerous with the ball in hand. He burned Mick O’Driscoll and Niall Ronan in midfield and ran about 30 metres before off-loading to James O’Connor. Australia let down by another knock on.
Ireland playing a lot of rugby but have yet to score this half. They’ll probably need a try if they’re going to pull this back.
Giteau nails the penalty. 22-15 Australia.
Adam Ashley Cooper and Mark Chisholm held up on the line until Shane Jennings concedes the penalty under the posts.
Australia have it right on Ireland’s try line…
Sexton with a good chance to put the pressure on the Wallabies with a penalty but his kick doesn’t make it to touch. Australia noticeably more disciplined this half and not giving Sexton any easy opportunities with the boot.
‘Geordan Murphy would catch marbles in a hail storm’ says Jackie Fullerton of the full back after a trademark take. Very eloquently put.
Ireland with another promising move but Brian O’Driscoll fumbles it in midfield with men outside. Very unlike the captain.
Murphy taken out of it in the air by James O’Connor in his first involvement in the game. He falls awkwardly and looks badly winded. Welcome to the game Geordan.
Geordan Murphy on for Rob Kearney.
Kurtley Beale wastes a brilliant opportunity for another Australian try. He was one on one with Cian Healy and tried to kick to the corner for Matt Giteau but overhits it badly. Play brought back for a penalty in front of the posts which Giteau converts. 3 points for Australia but it could have easily been 5 or 7.
Cronin with an excellent tackle on Rocky Elsom to put a stop to a threatening Aussie move. There were men outside Elsom and Cronin’s intervention was crucial.
O’ Driscoll with typically excellent defence to bring another Australian move to an end. The skipper looks to be enjoying himself today after an off colour display against the All-Blacks. Maybe he’s looking forward to the wedding next week.
Another excellent move from the Irish sees Tommy Bowe held up in the Australian 22. Lovely hands from O’Driscoll and Trimble to put Bowe away but the move is eventually put to an end by a knock on. Great rugby from Ireland.
Awful sliced kick from Rob Kearney ends up in the hands of the Australians in the Irish 22′ but they eventually pass the ball forward and let Ireland and Kearney off the hook.
Back underway in Brisbane
Before the try there was an interesting exchange between Jackie Fullerton and Stuart Barnes about Tony Buckley. ‘Tony Buckley is sometimes like a cuddly bear and sometimes like Chuck Norris’, says Jackie. ‘Who’s Chuck Norris? says Barnes. Stuart obviously hasn’t typed the words ‘find chuck norris’ into google. If you haven’t either, give it a go and click the first thing that comes up…
Half time
Bad blow for Ireland right on half time. Quade Cooper with the try, slipping through the challenges of Niall Ronan and Shane Jennings and touching down. Lovely move by Cooper but it was way too easy. Ronan and Jennings won’t be looking forward to watching the video. Cooper misses the conversion again. Australia lead by a point at the break.
TRY Australia!!!
Buckley is back on and it’s probably good for him that it’s only two minutes until half time.
The physios are on and Buckley looks a bit more stable, but it’s still not clear whether he’ll be able to continue.
Tony Buckley is down and does not look good. Something happened when the scrum was engaging and it looks like he could have taken a bad blow to his neck.
No problem whatsoever to the number ten, who is flying. 15-11 Ireland.
Almost immediately after the restart, Australia are ruled offside and Sexton has another kick at goal.
Sean Cronin is offside in front of the Irish posts and Quade Cooper easily knocks over the penalty. Tit for tat in Brisbane, great test so far.
It really is buzzing in the Suncorp, but when a bit of a hush comes on you can just about hear the taunts of the Australian fans in Sexton’s direction. I can’t quite decipher the exact words but no doubt it’s along the lines of ‘Sexton ya flamin gallah’ or something similar.
Brian O’Driscoll with a lovely break in midfield after a super ball from Paddy Wallace. O’Driscoll puts Trimble away in the corner and the Ulster man is held up just short of the line but Australia concede the penalty. O’Driscoll takes the sensible option and hands the ball to the in form Sexton, who predictably, nails it. 12-8 Ireland.
For all the talk about the weakness of the Australian scrum, they’re putting Ireland under serious pressure at the moment.
The machine like Sexton with another penalty to put Ireland in front. 9-8.
Awful error off the back of the scrum by Chris Henry. The debutant’s attempted pass is easily intercepted by Luke Burgess and the scrum half runs in for an easy try. Conversion missed by Cooper. 8-6 Australia.
TRY Australia!!!
Tomas O’Leary with a suicidal pass that almost lets the Aussies in for a soft try but Quade Cooper got the slightest of touches to the ball and it was deemed a forward pass. Let off for Ireland.
Ole, Ole rings out around the Suncorp and twenty years and a day after Packie Bonner’s famous penalty save in Italy, it seems quite appropriate.
Sky commentator Jackie Fullerton describes Cooper’s approach to the penalty as a ‘Popeye the sailor man run-up’. As ridiculous as it sounds, he’s spot on.
Matt Giteau passes on the kicking duties to Quade Cooper and the out half lands a monster penalty from the left touchline to put the Wallabies back to within 3.
Sexton with another penalty for Ireland to put us 6 in front. The Leinster man is looking extremely good with the boot. 6-0.
Ireland concede a penalty in midfield and Giteau misses what would be regarded as an easy kick for someone of his standards. A dose of the yips would go down nicely please Matt.
Straight between the sticks and Ireland have laid down an early marker. 3-0.
Super start from Ireland and Sexton has an early chance to put some points on the board. His kicking, bar a late blip, was excellent against the Maoris.
We’re underway…
Cracking atmosphere in the Suncorp and plenty of Irish ex-pats in attendance. Almost ready to go in Brisbane.
Australia under as much, if not more pressure to perform than Ireland. Two unconvincing perfromances against England have heaped the pressure on coach Robbie Deans and captain Rocky Elsom.
Ireland hoping to win in Australia for the first time since 1979 and if any of you are a fan of omens, that game was also in Brisbane so let’s hope that history can repeat itself tonight.
Sky have just showed us all the lowlights from the hammering to the All-Blacks and it did not make for pleasant viewing. A lot better needed today but Australia are there for the taking, as England have shown in the last couple of weeks.
A reminder of the teams for you:
Teams:
Ireland: Kearney (Leinster); Bowe (Ospreys), O’Driscoll (Leinster, Capt.), Wallace (Ulster), Trimble (Ulster); Sexton (Leinster), O’Leary (Munster); Healy (Leinster), Cronin (Connacht), Buckley (Munster), O’Callaghan (Munster), O’Driscoll (Munster), Ronan (Munster), Jennings (Leinster), Henry (Ulster).
Replacements: Varley (Munster), Court (Ulster), Tuohy (Ulster), Ruddock (Leinster), Reddan (Leinster), O’Gara (Munster), Murphy (Leicester).
Australia: James O’Connor; Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper; Quade Cooper, Luke Burgess; Ben Daley, Saia Faingaa, Salesi Ma’afu; Dean Mumm, Mark Chisholm; Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Richard Brown.
Replacements: Huia Edmonds, James Slipper, Mitchell Chapman, Matt Hodgson, Josh Valentine, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale.
Good morning everyone and welcome to JOE’s live tracker on the last stop of Ireland’s summer tour of the southern hemisphere, a test against the Wallabies. It’s been a disappointing trek down under so far with the capitulation to the All-Blacks followed by another defeat to the NZ Maoris despite an encouraging showing from a largely second string outfit. Kick off at the the Suncorp stadium in Brisbane is at 11.05am. I’ll have team news for you shortly.
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