IRELAND 15 AUSTRALIA 6
from Simon Lewis at Eden Park, Auckland
AT LAST. An Ireland victory of substance at a Rugby World Cup, and how it was deserved. Tri-Nations champions Australia, fresh from their victory over New Zealand were outhustled, outmuscled and outplayed at Eden Park on Saturday evening.
A dominant Irish scrum, superiority at the breakdown and determination in defence – the Aussies were kept scoreless in the second half - were the key factors in a famous victory over lauded opponents who had beaten Ireland four times out of four in previous World Cups.
The Wallabies, with their boy-band backline featuring Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale, were kept tryless and their credentials as World Cup winners undermined by a lack of strength in depth that saw them exposed by the late withdrawals through injury of flanker David Pocock and hooker Stephen Moore.
What's more, it was a result that has turned the World Cup on its head as Ireland now become favourites to top Pool C, condemning the pre-event group favourites to a likely quarter-final against the defending champions South Africa and a potential semi-final with the All Blacks.
Ireland meanwhile, providing they see off Russia next Sunday in Rotorua and Italy in Dunedin on October 2, will probably face the winner of Sunday's game between Wales and Samoa in their quarter-final, should they top the group and then would meet the winners of a possible England-France quarter-final in the semis.
It really was a tournament-changing result, meaning the three Southern Hemisphere giants could all end up in one half of the draw with the Six Nations big guns in the other, setting up a mouth-watering North v South final.
Those are the consequences, but what of the match. Ireland were clearly pumped up for this one, displaying an intensity, from the anthems onwards, decidedly absent from the four warm-up Tests in pre-season and the opening Pool C win over the United States. Not since the 24-8 victory over England in Dublin at the end of the 2011 Six Nations in March had Ireland looked so competitive and the Australians were simply blown away.
Pocock's loss to a back strain was a big loss but the way Sean O'Brien played in his less favoured role as openside flanker, no-one could have competed more intensely at the breakdown. Cian Healy was outstanding alongside Rory Best and Mike Ross in an all-conquering front row that earned five penalties at scrum time and while the lineout was not at its best, Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan put in mighty shifts in the loose to keep Ireland on the front foot in front of a crowd of 58,678, of which the loudest voices were always Irish.
There were still mistakes in the backline but this was a far more polished performance as the midfield partnership of Gordon D'Arcy and captain Brian O'Driscoll, making a world record, centre pairing 45th Test appearance together to surpass England's Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott, stepped up to subdue the Wallabies Pat McCabe and Anthony Fainga'a.
Fly-half Jonathan Sexton and substitute Ronan O'Gara kicked two penalties apiece while Sexton also landed a drop-goal for the Irish while all Australia could manage was two penalties from the boot of the impressice James O'Connor as the Wallabies failed to pick up a losing bonus point.
If any team looked like scoring a try it was Ireland and Tommy Bowe nearly crossed late on after intercepting a rushed Cooper pass, running the length of the field before he was tackled five metres out.
Replacement scrum-half Conor Murray did get over the line but play was then called back by referee Bryce Lawrence for an earlier offside offence. It mattered little as Ireland staved off the Australian challenge with plenty to spare.
Ireland captain O'Driscoll was understandably buoyant after the game.
“It is a performance we knew we had in us. We had to dig deeper than we had done in the last five games," he said.
“We will enjoy this, but let's not forget that we have two more games.”
O'Driscoll also paid tribute to injured Munster hooker Jerry Flannery, who had stirred the team two days after being ruled out of the World Cup with a calf injury by presenting the team jerseys on the eve of the game.
“There were some very passionate words said by guys who weren't even in the 22. That's where it came from,” O'Driscoll added. “There were some poignant moments throughout the week. I don't think a lot of guys will forget Jerry Flannery handing out the jerseys yesterday at the captain's meeting.”
Ireland play Russia next Sunday and finish off their Pool C campaign against Italy and head coach Declan Kidney warned: “I was pleased with the way we went about out business. We managed to stifle a very good Australian side.
“I think our scrum is getting a little stronger. We still have a little bit of work to do. The work really starts now."
IRELAND: R Kearney (A Trimble, 75); T Bowe, B O'Driscoll – captain (A Trimble, 59-62), G D'Arcy (R O'Gara, 50), K Earls; J Sexton, E Reddan (C Murray, 58); C Healy, R Best, M Ross (T Court, 76); D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; S Ferris, S O'Brien, J Heaslip.
Replacements not used: S Cronin, D Ryan, D Leamy.
AUSTRALIA: K Beale; J O'Connor, A Fainga'a (D Mitchell, 75), P McCabe, A Ashley-Cooper; Q Cooper, W Genia ; S Kepu, T Polota-Nau, B Alexander (J Slipper, 61); D Vickerman (R Simmons, 62), J Horwill – captain; R Elsom (W Palu, 71), B McCalman, R Samo (S Higginbotham, 75).
Replacements not used: S Fainga'a, L Burgess.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/wL4soUXMUg8/post.aspx
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