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Ireland and Australia have played out a thrilling Test match from Aviva stadium in Dublin with the Irish prevailing by 27 points to 24 to gift their captain Rory Best with a perfect result to mark his 100th International cap.
It was a tough and bruising encounter as both sides threw everything they had into the match, the Wallabies storming back from a halftime deficit of 10 with a late Keith Earls try ultimately deciding the match in Ireland’s favour, and ending the Wallabies’ Grand Slam aspirations.
All the wash-up from Ireland vs Wallabies:
» LORD: Grand Slam gone, Mumm must follow
» Match report: Ireland victorious, 27-24
» What changes should Australia make for England
» Vote on our DIY player ratings
» Re-live the match with our live blog
» WATCH all the highlights from the match
Here are my talking points from the match.
Wallaby discipline
I am sure the referee performance may be debated but the Wallabies copped a hammering here, particularly in the first half, conceding 8 to 1 and a yellow card to boot to Dean Mumm for a careless clean out.
Arguably this was the turning point of the match, the Irish building a lead during this period of 10, and scoring again shortly after Mumm re-joined the fray from sustained pressure inside the Wallaby half.
A repeat hammering from the ref next week at Twickenham could also prove the winning and losing of that match next week.
Ball security
The ball security was at times very poor from the Wallabies, the Irish again having some luck in holding the ball up in the tackle, forcing turnovers.
Some of the passing and handling left a lot to be desired, ruining a number of promising movements, disappointing as when the Wallabies held onto the ball, they looked lethal at times on attack and a tad more composure with ball in hand will be a must for next week.
Sefanaia Naivalu
Surely it is time for this young man to start. His impact from the bench was telling, scoring a try with his pace and he looks far more threatening both in defense and attack than what Henry Speight is currently offering.
Serious consideration has to be afforded for him to start on the left wing next week.
Wallaby scrum
For the most part, it held its own against a very good Irish unit but was again exposed with the substitutes, bookmarked with conceding a last minute penalty, ending Wallaby hopes at the end.
The Wallabies are developing some quality depth across the squad however this is a problem area for the coaching staff to work on into the future.
Irish depth
Again this week, the Irish had some misfortune, with a last-minute change with O’Brien out, and a number of injuries reshuffling the backline during the match.
At times it did not look like they would be able to hold on against a fast-finishing Wallaby sideline, but they had the composure to not only hold on, but find a try to Keith Earls in the corner to retake the lead and ultimately win the match.
It is a promising sign for this Irish side and certainly bodes well for the future.
In the end, it was a riveting encounter and both sides will take plenty from it. The Wallabies did turn around a poor first half to give themselves an opportunity to win and while it will hurt for now, they will take great heart from their commitment and can look forward to their last match of the season against the old foe, England, while Ireland will reflect on a successful Autumn series and look to build further into the Six Nations.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.