St Patrick famously drove the snakes out of Ireland, and maybe now his men have driven the Wallabies out of serious World Cup contention.
As the anthems played out, I got a vague impression that the Irish seemed a little less up for this than the Australians; how wrong could I have been? It would be easy to be apprehensive in an Irishman's shoes, as 1 win in the last 5 games, against a relatively weak USA is not the sort of preparation you want for a game against a side who had clinically disposed of Italy and blasted away New Zealand in their last 2 games.
In a frantic opening, both sides looked to attack, but Australia had the first chance with an O'Connor penalty bizarrely awarded in my eyes. A Cooper knock-on saw an Irish advantage, and in the follow-up, Beale almost had his head taken off by Kearney. Undoubtedly a high shot, but surely advantage was being played, and the scrum should have been given and a word had with Kearney? No matter, O'Connor pulled it and it remained 0-0, but Australia looked very threatening. When the Irish scrum slipped its binding a few minutes later, referee Lawrence, who fills me with almost as much dread as Mr Kaplan (see previous reports) awarded a penalty and O'Connor made no mistake from slightly to the right of the posts. 3-0 to the rampant Aussies.
Virtually from the kick-off though, Horwill was penalised for holding on, and from the 10 metre line Sexton should have equalised, but pushed the kick and the chance was wasted. It spurred Ireland into life though and O'Driscoll broke through, only for Sexton to kick the ball away with a wrong option. Sexton seems to be doing his best to let O'Gara back in, but given a reprieve by Samo and Elsom's offside (take your pick on which one) he made no mistake with his second kick, and the game was tied up again.
Ireland were rejuvenated, and pummeled away at the Australian defence, mainly through the front 5, and when Australia killed the ball, the advantage was pending as Sexton drove a drop goal through the sticks to give Ireland the lead and a massive boost. Australia responded in kind though, and after a clever kick through by Beale, only the scavenging O'Brien saved the day, and once tidied, O'Driscoll cleared to touch from acting scrum half (is there anything he can't do?)
Australia, particularly Beale, looked dangerous though, and first D'Arcy, then O'Brien gave penalties away for offside, allowing O'Connor an easy chance to equalise once more; a chance he readily took. Ireland looked mentally stronger than in recent games, but Italy had held Australia in the first half last weekend before capitulating as the Australians sparked. Discipline failed the greens again shortly afterwards, and from slightly further out this time, O'Connor took aim but missed three more points to give the Australians the lead again.
On 31 minutes, an Irish scrum in good position was deemed to have been collapsed by the Australians. If you ask me, Mr Lawrence was evening up the score from the earlier decision underneath the Irish sticks. Little matter, as another scuffed kick from Sexton, who really does struggle with this ball, let the Aussies of the hook. O'Gara could undo another button on his tracksuit in preparation. Lawrence continued to make dreadful decisions. Having got in the way of Redden himself, the then somehow adjudged that Horwill was onside. Appalling doesn't go even halfway to describing his performance in the first half. Let's not forget also that in his first game, England vs Argentina, he baffled with his inconsistency and angered both sides.
As half-time approached, Ireland got a nudge on in an Australian scrum, and as Genia picked up, he was enveloped by Ferris and O'Brien and driven back into the 22 where the Irish gained a scrum. A drop goal surely for Sexton... but no, Earls took the ball in-field, and he is neither strong enough nor quick-footed enough at this level for my money, and he was wrapped up neatly by the Aussies, before Ferris knocked on to end the half. Half-time: Australia 6 Ireland 6
O'Connell and his Irish pack were immense in the first half, and with the half backs of three or four years ago at the helm, they would have been 6 or 9 points clear. Nothing Kidney can do about that, but O'Gara will be critical to any chance of an Irish victory in this second half.
Having turned round at half time with the scoreboard showing the same score as during their first game against Italy, Australia would be looking for a similarly dominant second half performance as were they to slip up, they would be headed for a Tri Nations packed route to the Final, while Ireland would just be encouraged to have finally produced the rugby we know they are capable of, and would be hoping for more of the same.
Beale looked dangerous almost instantly, and scrambled Irish defence snuffed out the problem. Lawrence again mystified with an interpretation of the offside rule allowing Cooper to get involved when he shouldn't. Reddan was at his most alert to dive on a couple of loose balls in these early stages, and O'Brien added so much that had clearly been missing in his absence. Finally a sensible kick turned the Aussie defence, but Bowe switched off and Australia's quick line-out cleared the danger, before Kearney returned it with interest.
The next score looked to be crucial, and both sides were looking to play the territory game now, with D'Arcy and Cooper both turning the defence with clever kicks. Australian discipline was waning, and first Vickerman tackled a maul and then his second row partner Horwill went round the side at a ruck, and Ireland had the chance to take the lead for the second time. Sexton made no mistake, and the greens led 9-6, deservedly so.
O'Gara replaced D'Arcy leading to a re-shuffle, and his first touch was a great touch find from his 22 after an Australian kick through. Australia conceded yet another scrum penalty, as the Irish tight 5 continued to perform admirably, but Sexton could only hit the post and try as he might, O'Driscoll couldn't gather the rebound and the Wallabies breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly they burst into life for the first time, and after carries by Horwill, Cooper broke and forced the pass a little too much, sending it forward to the evident glee of every Irish man, woman and child in the crowd.
O'Connell had been his usual immense self, and his return to form could not have come at a better time. Healy was having his best game for Ireland too. Adventurously running the ball across their own line, Bowe's kick hit Cooper's feet and ricocheted left, right and centre before finding touch for an Irish line-out before which Irish replacement scrum half Conor Murray came on for the biggest 22 minutes of his life.
Australia couldn't live with the scrum and conceded a 4th penalty. O'Driscoll having gone off to be stitched up, O'Connell threw the ball to O'Gara, having finally lost patience with the errant boot of Sexton. O'Gara made no mistake, and Ireland stretched out to a worthy 12-6 lead, which prompted urgency from the Australians. Urgency can sometimes lead to panic, and it was borderline at times from the Wallabies, and when Genia gained an advantage through Kefu's obstruction (needless) of the tacklers, Ireland cleared their lines once more.
O'Brien was having a massive second half, defensively and carrying the ball across the gain line time and time again. Sexton's up-and-under caused that panic I mentioned in the Australian defence, and only a pass right by O'Connell, when to the left a 5 on 1 overlap was forming, prevented the first try of the game. Australia survived with a defensive scrum. The scrum continued to struggle under severe pressure from the excellent (how many times must I say that) Irish pack and a 5th penalty at the scrum followed. I don't think you can underestimate the effect Healy had on this game, and the chance was there for O'Gara to send the Irish 2 scores clear and the Aussies into a huge mess. O'Gara made no mistake, and 15-6 adorned the scoreboard. What are you made of Australia?
Everything was going Ireland's way, but this was not luck, it was sheer hard work on their behalf that made things happen. The inspiration of Healy, O'Connell and O'Brien (good luck separating them for Man of the Match) was the key to this game. Australia weren't done though, and Ashley-Cooper broke before being hauled down, and Australia recycled and spread the ball wide, but a poor pass straight into touch from the thus far anonymous Faingaa extinguished another hope. Murray was snagged though when wanting too long to clear from the base of a wheeling scrum, and a perfect base for Australia to attack from resulted. Genia sniped with pace, and a stunning O'Brien tackle brought him down. Ireland slowed the ball down extremely well though and a scrum resulted. Court having entered, he was penalised for collapsing the scrum, but as Genoa and Cooper slung quick passes, Bowe intercepted and went the length of the field, falling just short of the line.Murray then thought he had scored, but a penalty to Australia ruled that out.
Australia were deep in their 22 with a minute to play and 2 scores required. The unfancied Irish, in dreadful form, had turned the tables and won a match virtually no-one expected them to win. No tries, but frankly who cares.
Full Time: Australia 6 Ireland 15
Ireland are now perfectly placed to progress while the Aussies are looking at 2nd place in the Pool. No-one could have predicted this given form entering this World Cup, but Ireland's immense effort saw them produce the performance of their lives. The party in Auckland will be long tonight, and I don't think there will be many Australians enjoying it. A Wallaby performance reminiscent of the 2007 Quarter Final against England, their front row simply couldn't cope with the pressure exerted by the Irish scrum. O'Brien added much needed pep to the back row and despite a shaky performance from Sexton, Ireland recover from the doubts of the post-USA analysis to a peak that only a win against a Top Nation can provide.
Australia know that they have 2 games against minnows, in USA and Russia, to sort things out, but also that the chances of them winning the group, and avoiding South Africa in the Quarter FInals, are now out of their hands. We could now be heading for a Tri Nations half and a 6 Nations half of the draw. The favoured New Zealand vs Australia surely will not happen.
Only one possible word.... Incredible.
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