Key events
TRY! Ireland 39 – 19 Australia (Ryan Baird)
77 mins. A clean take from a lineout is fed to the backs and Crowley finds Baird folding around from the lineout on a strong run to drive over. That’s the icing on very convincing cake.
Crowley adds two.
75 mins. A chip over the top is aimed for Sualii to chase, but he can’t reach it before it bounces back over his head and into Irish hands. The ball is worked left to Lowe, but the Wallabies scramble to close the door, but not without infringing at the breakdown.
TRY! Ireland 32 – 19 Australia (Billy Pollard)
73 mins. The lineout is won and a few phases later Pollard drives over from the base of a ruck.
Conversion is missed.
71 mins. Australian win a penalty for Kelleher not rolling away and will have a lineout in the Irish 22.
YELLOW CARD! Nick Frost (Australia)
In the build up, Frost tackled Clarkson off the bal. It was also high and clacked the Irish prop’s head with a shoulder.
TRY! Ireland 32 – 14 Australia (Caelan Doris)
69 mins. Ireland are inches away from the Wallaby line following another towering take of a kick by Hansen. Short drive after short drive is repelled but the inevitable happens via Doris finally bustling over.
Conversion added.
67 mins. Some kicking back and forth ends with Potter dabbing down a Gibson-Park kick that went too long and rolled in-goal.
65 mins. Well, Australia have the chance to prove me wrong with a lineout in close. And they disappoint once more by losing their own lineout, the sixth of the match.
63 mins. Australia honestly look like they’ve given up here. They are aimlessly kicking without any chase to speak of, their scrum is getting mullered and very few people are running with purpose. However, Aki comes to their rescue by drifting offside in front of an Ireland kicker.
PENALTY! Ireland 25 – 14 Australia (Jack Crowley)
61 mins. Crowley, just on for Prendergast sends his first touch of the match through the posts from the tee.
60 mins. Prendergast puts a gigantic spiral bomb up that Jorgensen can’t hold as it comes down. The ball comes back on the Ireland side for that man Prendergast again to put boot to ball, this one a cross-kick to O’Brien who claims and and runs over the line to ground it. The crowd goes wild, but the TMO has spotted there was a double knock on when the initial kick was fumbled. NO TRY!
58 mins. Hansen, still having a stormer despite not scoring for a while, chases a big kick and wins it back in the Australia half. Gibson-Park looks to angle a further kick in behind, but he’s charged down.
DROP GOAL! Ireland 22 – 14 Australia (Sam Prendergast)
55 mins. Ireland are on the ball on the Australia 22, but there’s not huge amount of go forward so Prendergast goes for the posts and slots it. Very sensible decision in the context of the game and the conditions.
53 mins. Prendergast drifts onto the outside shoulder of a defender before straightening through a gap and opening his legs up. He finds Gibson-Park in support, but the defence scrambles and forces another handling error.
It’s wet out there, admittedly, and there’s a lot of ball going to ground.
51 mins. Aki takes the ball up in the 13 channel, but he’s drifting across the field and this gives Sualii and easy job of tracking him and then clattering him into touch. The Aki of two years ago would have straightened that run up, but his confidence looks shredded these days.
49 mins. Potter claims a catch in the air but loses it on his way down to put Ireland on the ball in the Wallaby 22. An aussie player doens’t roll away and there’s a further issue when Ref Dickson catches some back-chat and marches them to the 5m line as a result.
Sheehan drives to the line from a tap-and-go, but Potter makes up for his earlier mistake by getting under the hooker to hold the ball up.
46 mins. The latest possession for the Wallabies is kicked into space behind Hansen, but there’s a bit too much weight on it, rolling in-goal and allowing Ireland to clear their lines via a drop-out under the posts.
44 mins. A nice pattern on first phase from Australia comes to a halt when Jorgensen’s final pass drifts forward. This prompts a primal scream of delight from some Irish defenders that is clearly proportionate and reasonable. Obviously.
42 mins. Gibson-Park puts it into touch, but it doesn’t go far as a strong breeze is in Ireland’s face this half. However, this proves not to be an issue as Australia’s lineout woes have returned to lose possession and allow Prendergast to send the ball from his boot.
Second Half!
Ireland receive the ball and we’re back underway
I’m struggling to understand how Australia are only five points behind. Every facet of play in that half was dominated by Ireland, with the Wallabies unable to rely on any of their set pieces, passes or kicking game consistently functioning. What is clear is that neither team seems able to stem the flow of points, so perhaps we should just should settle back and enjoy it.
Half time!
40 mins. PEEEEEP! That’s the final act of the half
TRY! Ireland 19 – 14 Australia (Fraser McReight)
39 mins. Australia set up a maul in the 22 before flinging the ball wide. Ireland are scrambling like mad but it’s not enough to prevent McReight under the posts forcing his way over.
Two points are added.
38 mins. Sound the klaxon, because Australia have won a lineout. But then silence it immediately as they spew the ball forward after two passes, such is their way.
Ireland are taking a turn to be untidy as well, with the ball lost then Beirne running offside. All this happend on the Irish 22.
35 mins. The Australian attack has all the precision of drunk colony of penguins on a particularly icy day on the glacier, and is now joined by the lineout starting to malfunction.
The ball is stolen by Ireland, whomped into the air and won once more by the Irish chasers.
32 mins. Henshaw catches Potter early and is pinged for a tackle in the air. This gives the Wallabies a platform from the lineout on the 22, which quickly ends up becoming lateral. Their attack is focused on long passes from the scrum half to start things off, and this is playing directly into Ireland’s midfield blitz.
TRY! Ireland 19 – 7 Australia (Mack Hansen)
28 mins. More pressure is hammered into the Wallaby 5m zone, with a kick that Jorgensen has to play near his line and can only wait for the Irish defenders to envelop and drive him back over his line.
From the scrum-five, a cross-kick from Prendergast finds O’Brien who spills the ball backwards onto the grass for Hansen to scoop up and run in for his hat-trick. This fullback thing is clearly a doddle.
Conversion missed.
26 mins. Gibson-Park puts one up for his wingers to compete for, and O’Brien is first to it and slaps it back to Ireland’s possession. There is a big gap behind the Aus defence that Gibson-Park spots to kick a 50:22
24 mins. The ball is moved quickly left to Daugunu who bumps Prendergast, heads to the 22 and looks inside for a pass to Ikitau. The ball is released, but the scrambling defence gets amongst it enough to force the Aussie centre to spill it forward.
22 mins. The Wallaby defence is in far better shape to repel the Ireland attack from the scrum, assisted by a lesser fluency by the boys in green and slower ball due to the gold forwards making a nuisance of themselves at the breakdown. The ball is spilled by Henshaw for a knock on, and the TMO spots James Ryan had committed tip cleanout at some point. Australia penalty given,
20 mins. A bomb is sent up by Prendergast and under pressure from Hansen, O’Connor makes a mess of claiming the catch, instead bouncing it off his chest. Ireland will have as scrum on the 22.
TRY! Ireland 14 – 7 Australia (Len Ikitau)
18 mins. As the rain starts, Australia decide to keep it simple in close with repeated short and powerful carries until Ikitau drives over Prendergast and the line, that order.
Conversion added.
16 mins. The Wallabies have another chance to attack after they get a decent maul rolling from a lineout in Ireland territory. There’s a long advantage being played as they reach double figures in phases and move up to the 5m line.
13 mins. On a penalty advantage for Prendergast not rolling away, Australia work some phases in the face of the so far very impressive Irish defence. The handling lets them down again with simple pop-pass going to ground and they come back for the offside. The lineout is them completely mangles by an overthrow, and McReight is offside soon after.
As decent as Ireland have been, this is an absolutely vile start by the Wallabies.
TRY! Ireland 14 – 0 Australia (Mack Hansen)
10 mins. Prendergast follows that defensive intervention up with a monster of a spiral kick deep into Aus territory. Jorgenson covers it but knocks it on as he tries to play it on the floor.
From the lineout, a nippy pattern is run, with Prendergast on the loop receiving and releasing the ball to Hansen to double his tally of tries.
And easy two is added.
8 mins. A clumsy breakdown effort from Ireland on the restart allows the Wallabies to win the ball back. However, their attack on the 22 is in about three minds and none of them have a discernible plan, which leads to O’Connor spilling the ball after a big hit from Prendergast. Yes, Prendergast, you read that right.
TRY! Ireland 7 – 0 Australia (Mack Hansen)
6 mins. Ireland work back into the 22 and the pressure coming from the pace of the recycling forces Williams to drift offside. The ball is tapped by Gibson-Park and some quick hands find Hansen free under the posts to walk in.
Conversion is added for maximum reward from a strong Irish start.
4 mins. Australia spring from the scrum on their 10m line, but a forced pass drops short of Jorgenson whick Henshaw hacks on to chase. The foot race commences but the chasers can only watch the ball roll into touch.
2 mins. Ikitau receives the kick off and immediately pops to Sualii to have a run. There’s one more phase before the Wallabies decide it’s best to get rid. Ireland are rapid with their return, hoping to put the foot to the Aussie throat early by moving the ball for eight phases left to right, and back again. It was busy and energentic, but was mostly contained by the visiting defence before being lost in contact.
Kick Off!
Young Sam Prendergast drop-kicks the ball to start us off
Here come the teams, out of the tunnel into the now obligatory disco, pyro and shouty darkness (Dublin version).
Officials for the match
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Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
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Assistants: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Adam Leal (RFU)
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TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
What’s the worst clothing decision you’ve made? You can let me know on the email and I promise I won’t judge. You may also wish to offer thoughts on the rugby, but I’ll leave it up to you.
Teams
Ireland
Mack Hansen; Tommy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Paddy McCarthy, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Caelan Doris, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Nick Timoney, Cian Prendergast, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Bundee Aki.
Australia
Max Jorgensen; Filipo Daugunu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; James O’Connor, Jake Gordon; Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa; Jeremy Williams, Tom Hoope; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson.
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Tom Robertson, Zane Nonggorr, Nick Frost, Carlo Tizzano, Ryan Lonergan, Tane Edmed, Andrew Kellaway.
Preamble
About a decade ago I was shopping for clothes in a ubiquitous high street outlet, and while fingering a shirt or two (unconvinced) my attention was drawn to a hetero couple in their late 6os. The woman was picking up exclusively inappropriate garments and passing them to her silver mulleted partner, who appeared to have little say in his appearance, preferring an easy life.
Herein lies the issue about evolving your style and selections; it’s tricky and difficult to feel confident in a new look. You can seek help, of course, but the wrong assistance and you end up as a bloke in his late sixties wearing low rise boot cut jeans and a muscle fit shirt with a diamante dragon design on the back.
Andy Farrell is having a similar issues with his team. He has shopped in the same Dublin boutique for so long that he’s finding it hard to accept some of its stock may not be a great fit these days, and he’s clearly worried a change will make him look ridiculous. He also won’t be advised by anyone, and so he’s left to go with the same cut he’s worn since pre-COVID days because his mirror tells him it still looks good enough. The loss to the All Blacks and the unconvincing seeing off of Japan has added the pressure to change it up, but Andy has resisted – the classics never go out of fashion in Wigan.
Australia are in a similar quandary. Their mixed-to-positive 2025 form has tailed off horribly, including a loss to Italy and their style of play under increasing scrutiny. This is in the context of the longest of goodbyes from Joe Schmidt prior to his handing over to Les Kiss in the not very specific “mid-2026”. Who do the players look to for the ultimate vision?
Expectations are of a convincing Ireland win here, and Farrell will need it to buy more shopping time. Australia wish to avoid flying home embarrassed.
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