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Ireland cap off amazing year with bruising win against Australia

Ireland put an end to England's unbeaten streak in the Six Nations. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Roar Guru
1st December, 2016
11

Ireland have beaten Australia, 27-24 and capped off an amazing year for the Irish rugby team. It is the first time that Ireland have beaten all three of the Southern Hemisphere giants in the same calendar year.

Ireland have also become only the second European team to beat South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in the same year, after England beat the trio in 2003. That England team went on to win the World Cup.

It was an incredible win for Ireland, against Australia. The Irish team went into the match struggling with injuries to key players. Jonny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw had been ruled out of the game and Sean O’Brien was declared unfit just before the contest.

These injuries were compounded during the match itself, when Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble and Jared Payne (Payne will now be out for three months and miss the start of the Six Nations) were forced to leave the field. This created a very makeshift back-line.

Simon Zebo came on for Kearney but moved to the wing when Joey Carbery replaced Trimble. Kieran Marmion replaced Payne, with Earls moving to centre and Marmion taking Earls’ place on the wing.

The switch meant that Ireland had the replacement out-half playing at full-back and the reserve scrum-half appearing on the wing. All three players took to their roles brilliantly, though, and had great games.

simon-zebo-ireland-rugby-union-2016

Josh Van der Flier also had a great game. Der Flier was the last-minute replacement for Sean OBrien. There was an unsavoury incident in the first-half, with Dean Mummbeen sin-binned for dropping Tadhg Furlong on his head.

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Despite the injury problems, Ireland went into the break with a 17-7 lead, tries coming from Iain Henderson and Gary Ringrose. Paddy Jackson converted both scores and added a penalty. Dane Haylett-Petty touched down for the Wallabies, with Bernard Foley adding the two points.

Australia also scored first in the second-half, with Foley converting Tevita Kuridrani’s great try. The score was now 17-14, to Ireland. From being 17-0 down, Australia had managed to close the gap to three points in only ten minutes.

Jackson extended the lead with a penalty (20-14) but Australia took the lead for the first time in the match, when Sefanaia Naivalu, who had just come on, dotted down. Australia now led, 21-20.

Foley added a penalty (24-20) but Ireland refused to lay down, with Earls crossing for what would prove to be the winning try, 15 minutes before the end. The Wallabies were reduced to 14 men when Foley was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Devin Toner.

Australia kept on attacking but Ireland managed to keep them out. won a great game of rugby and capped off an historic year which must go down as one of the best in the country’s playing history.

All the players deserve credit but here are some special mentions:

Rory Best finishes a year of great personal achievement, where he led Ireland to victories over all three of the Southern Hemisphere giants and became a Test centurion! Best must now take his place among the greatest Irish captains.

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Gary Ringrose, Joey Carbery and Tadhg Furlong will also take their place among the legends of Irish rugby, in the fullness of time. Ringrose and Carbery made their debuts in the November Series and have played like seasoned pros, while Furlong has become one of the best props in Europe, since debuting in last year’s World Cup.

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