Ireland find a way to win in scrappy clash with Wallabies
The referee signals a try for Ireland's Bundee Aki during the Autumn International match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Picture Brian Lawless/PA Wire.
Ireland ground out a hard-fought victory on Saturday to complete an Autumn Nations Series clean sweep as they found a way to beat Southern Hemisphere opposition without their talismanic captain Johnn Sexton.
Jack Crowley was handed the number 10 jersey after Sexton was forced out with a calf problem, his place on the bench going to previously out of favour Ross Byrne and both proved to be unlikely heroes in an extremely tough contest as Australia salvaged some pride following a shock defeat to Italy.
It was nevertheless a third straight defeat on tour in the North for the Wallabies as a late penalty from Byrne sealed Ireland’s victory to complete the set of wins against the old Tri-Nations triumvirate of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in 2022, the first team to achieve that hat-trick since England ahead of their 2003 World Cup win.
Bundee Aki scored Ireland’s only try of the game in the 66th minute after Crowley’s ninth-minute penalty had been matched by Bernard Foley a quarter-hour into the second half. Crowley’s conversion had given Andy Farrell’s side a 10-3 lead only for the Wallabies to fight back through a Jordan Petaia try, converted by Foley nine minutes from time before Byrne’s match-winning kick.
It was the first time Ireland had beaten one of the “big three” Southern Hemisphere sides without Sexton since Paddy Jackson guided Joe Schmidt’s side to a 27-24 victory over the Australians in 2016 and it secured a 12th consecutive home win under Farrell.
The head coach’s next task will be to fly to Monaco ahead of Sunday’s World Rugby Awards with captain Sexton and Josh van der Flier on the shortlist for Men’s 15s Player of the Year while Mack Hansen and Dan Sheehan have each been nominated as Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player Of The Year.
The win will enhance Farrell’s chances of claiming the Coach of the Year and Ireland the Team of the Year awards after claiming their third Southern Hemisphere scalp of 2022, adding Australia their list following a series victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand and this month’s defeat of world champions South Africa. The game, however, was not the spectacle the Irish management had been hoping to sign off on ahead the 2023 Six Nations and a World Cup in 10 months.
Ireland’s preparations had been derailed before kick-off when Sexton was withdrawn due to a calf issue, handing Peter O’Mahony the captaincy and Crowley an unlikely first Test start in just his second Ireland appearance with Byrne moving into the matchday squad just days after being called in as injury cover in the absence of Joey Carbery and Ciaran Frawley.
It had been an already remarkable rise to Test rugby for the 22-year-old, who had only recently moved into the Munster number 10 jersey following a successful Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa and an impressive cameo off the bench for Ireland A.
The former Bandon Grammar School student had made his Ireland debut against Fiji seven days earlier as a replacement for the injured Carbery and seen out a 35-17 win, he performance meriting a similar role as Sexton’s back-up on Saturday but this was a serious upgrade in mission for the Munster rookie.
Crowley’s first-half involvements were positive but limited, however, as Australia dominated possession and territory in a scrappy opening 40 minutes frequently disrupted by referee Ben O’Keeffe’s whistle.
It was also a first half that saw the Wallabies fail to capitalise on the scoreboard, including a disallowed try and a missed Bernard Foley penalty, and Crowley grab the only three points of the half from a ninth-minute penalty. Neck rolls were the primary focus of O’Keeffe’s attention, forcing the New Zealand referee to warn both captains, O’Mahony and James Slipper that their sides were on a final warning after 28 minutes.
The Australians were the first to crack nine minutes later as replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a was caught by TMO Steve Terheege tackling Josh van der Flier around the neck and paying the price with 10 minutes in the bin. It allowed Ireland to finish the half on top with a long-awaited spell in the opposition 22, though they failed to add to their 3-0 lead before the interval.
Fainga’a’s continued absence as the second half got underway saw Australia reduced to 13 men when his side earned a scrum as the card had been for foul play. With no hookers available to the visitors, the set-piece had to be uncontested with the Wallabies losing No.8 Rob Valetini for a front-row replacement and replacement back Jordan Petaia removed for the remained of the sin-binning.
Ireland duly struck off a scrum in that period, Jamison Gibson-Park darting down the short side to pass outside to Mack Hansen whose touchline offload inside found his scrum-half who ran in unopposed to score, only for the TMO to rule out a try for a foot on the line from Hansen.
Australia survived the yellow card without conceding and with a full complement worked the ball upfield having deployed their big guns off the bench, Pete Samu and Will Skelton introduced with Ireland deploying Bundee Aki for Stuart McCloskey following suspension to bolster their backline beef.
It was an Australian penalty that finally got the tourists up and running on the scoreboard, Bernad Foley kicking the equalising three points on 55 minutes but it was Ireland who next threatened the opposition tryline, 11 minutes later.
The Wallabies had conceded lineout penalty for a tackle in the air on Garry Riungrose from replacement Jake Gordon and the men in green grabbed the opportunity willingly. Crowley, by now partnered by Munster scrum-half Craig Casey, kicked to the corner from where his forwards laid siege, earning a penalty advantage before the ball reached Aki to charge at the posts for the opening try on 66 minutes.
Crowley added the conversion and Ireland had a 10-3 lead with 14 minutes remaining as the sell-out Avia Stadium crowd erupted in noise. Not for long though, Petaia scoring in the corner five minutes later with Foley’s conversion levelling the scores once more, nine minutes from time.
If Crowley had been an unlikely starter, his 71st-minute replacement Ross Byrne was an even more unexpected match-winner. Earning his first cap since the 2021 Six Nations, he had been on just five minutes before he was handed the ball and a kicking tee after an Australian infringement and Byrne showed his nerve to kick the three points.
There was still some defending to do as Australia pushed upfield, turning down a shot at goal to kick to the corner, a decision which backfired as replacement back Noah Lolesio went offside in the right-hand corner with clock on 79 minutes.
Yet Ireland contrived to hand back possession and the Wallabies probed again, only to knock on just inside the 22, a grateful Craig Casey grabbing the ball and hoofing it gleefully into the stands for a hard-earned Irish victory. Farrell’s men had finished the year on a winning note, their home record intact for a record-equalling 12th consecutive game, but only just.
H Keenan; M Hansen, G Ringrose, S McCloskey (B Aki, 53), J O’Brien; J Crowley (R Byrne, 71), J Gibson-Park (C Casey, 62); A Porter (C Healy, 71), D Sheehan (R Herring, 71), T Furlong (F Bealham, 62); T Beirne (J McCarthy, 60), J Ryan; P O’Mahony – captain (J Conan, 50), J van der Flier, C Doris.
A Kellaway (N Lolesio, 59); M Nawaqanitawase, L Ikitau, H Paisami (J Petaia, 3 & WD 44-47 for FR YC), T Wright; B Foley, N White (J Gordon, 44-54 - HIA); J Slipper – captain (T Robertson, 76), D Porecki (F Fainga’a, 24 - HIA), A Alaalatoa (T Tupou, 52-54 – inj); N Frost, C Neville (W Skelton, 52); J Holloway, M Hooper, R Valetini (T Tupou, 44-47 – YC; P Samu, 48 - HIA).
F Fainga’a 37-47
Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
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