Crumbs of comfort in short supply
Redeeming features? For the neutral, the power and skills of Australian full back Chris Latham and winger Drew Mitchell offered respite from the abject mediocrity. For those with green-tinted glasses, nothing so comforting.
Australia were both delighted and relieved; the pressure is temporarily off their coach Eddie Jones. His charges finally brought an end to a depressing run of defeats, but even he must know that this display was not the finished article.
His problems in the front row continue and, without Steve Larkham, a promising back division won’t ever function properly. Nevertheless, they had enough to see off pathetic Ireland.
Throughout the opening half, Ireland created chances, had opportunities to dominate territory, but weren’t quite able to nail down the game.
O’Sullivan could only watch and groan as out half Ronan O’Gara made error after error. The coach took action, surprisingly at a time when O’Gara was cranking his way back into the game, and replaced him after 52 minutes by David Humphreys. From there, things went steadily downhill; Humphreys missed a crucial tackle on Latham and then gifted the Wallabies an all-important third try to help them home.
It was that kind of a day for Ireland, who can only blame referee Chris White for a harsh forward pass call that ultimately led to Australia’s opening try; otherwise, this was a defeat of their own making.
Mind you, it didn’t help that Malcolm O’Kelly had to retire injured after 17 minutes, because replacement Matt McCullough, hard as he tried, was out of his depth.
Clearly, Ireland are not where O’Sullivan wants them to be. It was a chilling reminder that when you take two world-class players out of this side - Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell - they struggle.
Apart from victories by a second string Irish side over Japan this summer, Ireland have now lost four successive big games - to France, Wales, New Zealand and Australia.
It seemed inevitable that, on the basis of their inability to snuff out the Wallaby threat in that first half, Ireland would lose. No matter how bad Australia’s recent record, they do have a bit of quality in the ranks.
While Ireland huffed and puffed in their endeavours to score tries, the Wallabies were more clinical in their approach. There was, no doubt, a hint of luck about two of their tries, but Jones would prefer to think of it as opportunism. Who could blame him?
Ireland went in front after seven minutes when O’Gara stroked over a penalty. However, he missed the target with four line kicks and after O’Kelly was stretchered off, the victim of a head high and sloppy tackle from Late Tuqiri, O’Gara missed again with the resultant penalty.
Mat Rogers equalised in the 26th minute before O’Gara, coming back to form, made amends by kicking his second penalty.
But Australia took control of the scoreboard in the opening five minutes of the second half. Rogers knocked over a penalty and then converted a rather controversial try from winger Drew Mitchell, that Rogers converted.
But Ireland struck back with a penalty from substitute Humphreys. Ireland had an opportunity to score but McCullough lost the ball outside the ’22. His sights were on the line even before the pass from Gordon D’Arcy.
Then Australian full back Chris Latham exploded into action with a magnificent run from just inside the Irish half. He ran, sidestepped and beat the defence to land a killer punch. Rogers converted the try to make it 20-9.
Disaster struck again when Humphreys’ speculative but wayward pass was intercepted by replacement hooker Tatafu Polata-Nau and he sent Mitchell away on an 80-metre run for the try that Rogers converted.
Rogers also had the last say with a penalty, after Shane Horgan was sent in for a consolation try.
Romania are next on the list for Lansdowne Road and O’Sullivan will be tempted to blood some youngsters.
But Ireland, after their recent bad run, need to prove something to themselves as well. However, with confidence low, Ireland need another run together to prove they are capable of better things.
: G. Murphy, S. Horgan, A. Trimble, G. D’Arcy, T. Bowe, R. O’Gara, P. Stringer, M. Horan, S. Byrne, J. Hayes, D. O’Callaghan, M. O’Kelly, S. Easterby, D. Leamy, J. O’Connor.
: M. McCullough for O’Kelly (injured, 17), D. Humphreys for O’Gara (52). Temporary, R. Best for Byrne (53-57).
: C. Latham, M. Gerrard, L. Tuqiri, M. Tujrinui, D. Mitchell, M. Rogers, G. Gregan, G. Holmes, B. Cannon, D. Fitter, H. McMeniman, ?, J. Roe, G. Smith, P. Waugh.
: A. Baxter for Fitter (52), W. Sailor for Gerrard (65), M. Chisholm for McMeniman, T. Polata-Nau for Cannon, S. Fava for Roe (all 68).
: C. White (England).
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