- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Ireland ended the Wallabies’ Grand Slam campaign with a 27-24 win in Dublin this morning, and if there were any doubts about Dean Mumm’s future, his spear tackle in the 22nd minute with his team in all sorts of trouble was a sure fire “on your bike”.
When Ireland led 17-0 just 20 seconds from half-time, only a Michael Cheika would give his side a ghost of a chance of winning.
All the wash-up from Ireland vs Wallabies:
» Match report: Ireland victorious, 27-24
» Five talking points from the match
» 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
Ireland had 70 per cent possession and 73 per cent territory, they owned the ball and the referee Jerome Garces with 12 penalties to one.
In fact, the men in green should have led by a whole lot more, but the Wallaby defence was the only part of their game that clicked.
The Wallabies had no ball, no territory, and no light at the end of the tunnel until Dane Haylett-Petty broke clear midfield 20 metres out to score under the posts.
Bernard Foley did the rest, with the Wallabies down 17-7 at oranges.
Whatever Cheika said at half-time should be bottled.
Step up to the plate the Fijian connection of Tevita Kuridrani and bench winger Sefania Naivalu.
Their two converted tries after slick Wallaby backline moves saw the men in gold in front 21-20, with a quarter to go.
The Wallabies were all over the Irish, and even the die-hard locals in the packed house were impressed – the Wallabies were back from the dead, the Grand Slam still alive.
Momentarily.
Just as quickly, the Wallabies took the foot off the pedal, the forwards who had made a comeback slumped into lethargy, and Ireland was in with a converted try from Keith Earls on the wing as the Wallaby defence ran out of numbers.
That was 14 minutes from time, the score 27-24 in Ireland’s favour, as the Wallabies lifted in short periods, only to bomb certain tries.
I never ever though I’d report Israel Folau butchered a certain try, but he did with two supports outside and one to beat, the Wallaby fullback died with the ball. You had to see it to believe it in the 51st minute.
But in all fairness to Folau, he wasn’t the only bombed Wallaby try. In my book there were five.
Any one of them would have been good enough for victory, but as we all know – ‘if’ never wins anything.
But this international was one that got away despite Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, and Haylett-Petty turning in their usual high-quality performances.
The last word on Dean Mumm, who must surely have played his 56th and final Test.
He has been a liability to the Wallabies this year, yet for some unfathomable reason Cheika keeps picking him.
This morning should be the last time he dies so with England next week to end the season on a high.
This won’t be a dead rubber, far from it.
There’s a ‘small’ matter of the three-zip series defeat at the start of the season, and the fact it’s being played at the home of rugby, where a win counts most.
And there’s the Eddie Jones factor where Cheika would dearly like to make a dent in his impressive CV as England’s coach.
With no Mumm, Cheika can return the explosive potential of Lopeti Timani to the starting lineup as number eight, having left him out altogether this morning to make room for Mumm.
Timani must never be left languishing again.