A great day, but we can’t live with this memory forever

Ireland 18 Australia 9

He should know all about defeat in Dublin because he was a member of the Australian squad beaten at Lansdowne Road back in 1968, the last time Ireland conquered the Wallabies on home soil.

If this was a warm-up for the World Cup clash next year it proved one thing - Ireland, knocking on the door and biting at the heels of the southern hemisphere giants for the last 24 months, have finally secured a bit of status. More than anything, though, they have proved something to themselves.