You will not see many better matches than that. Ireland were, technically, very poor in places. There was a lot of sloppy play from both sides and they lacked the magical bits of skill that Australia showed.
What Ireland did have though was a physical relentlessness that you’d struggle to see any side in world rugby replicating. Paul O’Connel, 35 years old, was utterly magnificent in defence today; he summoned every ounce of strength he had in every tackle and inspired his team mates to do the same.
It’s easy to be critical of defensive rugby, but when it’s done with the intensity and physicality that Ireland have shown this autumn then it’s an incredibly absorbing spectacle.
I’m off to do the England match now. It won’t be as good, but do join me there. Thanks for all your emails and tweets. Sorry I couldn’t use them all. Bye!
80 min Australia go through the phases but they’re not making ground. Cooper finds Ashley-Cooper on the left but Bowe and Madigan wrap him up. The Australian doesn’t release, penalty to Ireland!
79 min Australia run it and Toomua is driven miles back by O’Connell! Folau runs up to halfway and McCallman takes it on. It goes left and Skelton takes it on but this is outstanding tackling from the Irish!
78 min Hooper this time knocks on in the tackle from Madigan! And Reddan puts a great kick into touch behind Speight. Australia have the lineout, but they’re going to have to go from 70m. Kearney hobbles off, which is a shame for Ireland as he’s been magnificent today. Felix Jones replaces him.
77 min Australia try one offload too many and Robinson spills it on the 22! Madigan clears, advantage is over but he’s missed touch! This must be horrible for the fans.
76 min Australia make a mess of the Irish lineout. The home side win the ball, just, but then Hooper makes a nuisance of himself at the lineout and Ireland have been forced back into their 22. It’s cleared but not to touch. Here come Australia.
73 min Will Skelton, the 6’8”, 21st lock, is on for Sam Carter and he immediately smashes through the gainline, up to the 22. Australia are sniffing around, looking for gaps, and they get a scrum on the 22 as the ball gets stuck in a ruck.
@DanLucas86 with the magic 3 Aus have brought on you'd have to think it will be won with a bit of pure genius skill, frightening talent!
71 min This is a bit odd. Out of nowhere, Murray has been told that a doctor has called him off for a head injury, much to the scrum-half’s surprise. It’s from the accidental collision with Cooper earlier. That’s good to see.
Ireland’s scrum is a mess once again, but Reddan manages to get it clear.
69 min Australia lineout, 20m out on the left. They win it and Cooper looks to put Speight through with an inside ball. That doesn’t come off but then Cooper dances past one man and puts Hooper into a gap. What an offload that was! It goes right, Australia have numbers, but then the last man is the prop Slipper and he knocks on in the tackle 10m out. Ireland defending as if their lives depend on it.
68 min Best goes off, Cronin on. Australia win the lineout and Cooper stabs a lovely kick down the left. There’s panic in the ranks at the back as Kearney and Murray run into each other, the latter taking a bang on the head as Cooper charged up after it.
Will Genia is off the bench. Beale, Cooper and Genia off the bench. That’s ridiculous.
66 min Ireland win the lineout but Henshaw is hit well by Toomua. Ireland recycle and Murray sends up a high box kick for Bowe to take, but Beale does very well to claim it and Ireland fail to release the man on the ground. Australia clear up the left to halfway.
65 min Welcome to the game, Quade Cooper. Ireland secure the ball and Sexton’s clearance bounces up for Madigan, He’s tackled and Murray sends a lovely box kick over the top, behind Cooper, but Folau sweeps up and clears.
64 min Up steps Johnny Sexton and puts the sweetest of kicks through! It’s Ireland 26-23 Australia.
“Evening Dan. As good as this game is, after what happened in Kilmarnock this afternoon, you might as well just give the Webb Ellis trophy to Scotland now,” says Simon McMahon.
Meanwhile, Robin Hazelhurst is not in the pub: “Bah, my dodgy feed for your match has gone so I’m watching Wales instead and relying on your updates for Ireland. Nice to watch Wales leading a southern side as we all know how it’s going to end.”
62 min Australia come charging into the breakdown and are penalised for coming in at the side. This is a great chance for Sexton, 15m in and 42m out on the left.
61 min As I was saying. Great work at the scrum from Best and indeed from the tight five. Ireland win it against the head and Sexton prods a lovely kick into the corner. Australia go quickly and Foley clears to Zebo. The winger flings it inside to Kearney who belts an absolute monster of a drop goal effort from 41m out and just 5m in from the left, with his left foot, and it cracks against the post!
59 min Sexton spins a nice pass out wide for Kearney, who chips ahead. The crowd think he’s been taken out off the ball by Speight but the referee, correctly, rules that the Australian winger was committed.
58 min Hooper comes up out the line to wrap up Bowe once again, but this time the winger gets his offload away and momentarily there’s a bit of space. Ireland are shut down but they’ve kept the ball.
56 min Good lineout and, after Henshaw takes it up on the crash ball, Bowe looks to burn towards the line on the right. He’s tackled and Hooper and Simmons wrap him up, form the maul and win the scrum.
55 min Great defence this by Ireland, O’Mahoney getting up on Toomua, who was on the wraparound and then Ruddock wins a penalty on the floor. Sexton kicks to touch, 31m out on the left.
53 min Jones steals the lineout but Beale kicks the ball away. Ireland recycle but then a poor kick from Henshaw is caught on the full by Fainga’a. O’Connell doesn’t release his man in the ruck and Australia get a penalty on halfway.
51 min Luke Jones does great work again at the lineout, putting pressure on O’Connell at the maul just as Courtney Lawes did during England’s Six Nations win. He gets around too far here though, coming in at the side and conceding a penalty, which Sexton kicks down the right for a lineout on the Australian 22. Wales lead 3-0 thanks to a Halfpenny penalty.
50 min Yet another messy pass from Phipps and Foley can only find Kearney. The full-back launches up another high kick but Beale takes it. Australia run it and fire it left for Ashley-Cooper, who burns down the left wing but the ball goes loose when he’s tackled on halfway by Bowe and it bobbles out into touch.
48 min Ireland’s scrum gets twisted around, 30m from their own line, dead in front: that’s a penalty to Australia and the scores should shortly be level again.
47 min Kearney takes the ball and jinks out of his 22, but then Murray puts the clearance out on the full. Australia go quickly and Toomua puts Beale through a gap, but the inside centre’s pass is forward.
46 min The kicks is good. It’s better than good, it’s excellent. Ireland 23-20 Australia. Meanwhile Wales v New Zealand is underway. Beale comes on for Kurindrani.
44 min Ireland’s scrum is a mess but they get the ball out to Zebo on the left, on the Australia 10m line. It’s good defence from Australia but then Luke Jones is penalised for going off his feet. Sexton will go for goal from 43m, out to the left of goal.
43 min Toomua’s grubber kick through is blocked by Heaslip and Ireland recover possession. Sexton chips over the top and Phipps knocks on looking to gather it low down. Bad news for Ireland: Beale is warming up for Australia.
42 min Phipps throws another loose pass into his 22 but Kurindrani steps through the tiniest of gaps. The fly-halves exchange poor kicks and Australia carry it up to halfway.
41 min Sexton restarts the game and Toomua kicks straight to Kearney, but the full-back’s pass to Zebo bounces off the latter man’s chest and Australia are running it from inside their own half.
Well that was fun! Not if you’re an Ireland fan, I guess. From being in complete control they fell away in the second half of that half. The half-backs went from genius to liability in a moment, Sexton’s radar dying and their kicks inviting Australia’s backs to come and play some rugby as Ireland’s enthusiasm and intensity got the better of them. The likes of Folau, Speight and Toomua were utterly ruthless and half-time can’t have come at a better time for the home team. 40 more minutes of that, please!
@DanLucas86 gone from being frustrated at not being able to watch the match to glad I can't see it. How badly are we unravelling?
Ireland win it and set themselves. Sexton kicks across for Zebo but Folau stretches out a telescopic arm and blocks the ball; bloody hell, he nearly caught that one-handed. We’ll go back for an offence on the 22 though and Sexton should level things up here. Aye, he splits the posts from just to the right and it’s 20-20.
I need a minute to rest after that. Remember when it was 17-0?
40 min Sexton runs this time, on the wraparound in midfield but Australia’s rush defence is good and defends the gainline. Hooper gets too enthusiastic though and concedes a penalty. Sexton kicks for touch down the right, into the 22 and we’ll have one more play.
39 min Australia pinch the lineout but Phipps’ pass is wide of Foley and goes loose in the Australia 22. Ireland charge forward but the fly-half recovers well; it’s recycled to Toomua, who clears well.
36 min Australia are terrifying when running at pace. Toomua and Foley cut Ireland to ribbons down the left and the home side desperately scramble to drag the fly-half down. It’s moved inside, Kuridrani is tackled on the 22 and Ireland go off-side at a ruck.
34 min Another overcooked kick, this one from Sexton I think, and Folau takes it comfortably, calls the mark and clears. To compound things for Ireland, Best’s throw on the Australia 10m line isn’t straight under good pressure from Luke Jones.
33 min Crikey, that’s a bad miss from Foley. We’ll forgive him though for the way he checked and drew the last man before supplying the try-scoring pass though.
Brilliant try! Ireland 17-17 Australia (Phipps 31)
Wonderful offloading this. Australia work it inside and Toomua steps through, 30m out. He passes it inside to Foley who takes it on and draws Kearney, then puts Phipps over from the 22 and the scrum-half jogs over.
30 min Ireland go blindside and Zebo looks to chip ahead. It’s charged down by Speight but Ireland win it back. Sexton kicks and Foley can’t take it under pressure from Kearney. Australia keep the ball and then Speight goes down the right.
27 min Sexton looks to kick across for Zebo again but this time the left wing doesn’t read his fly-half’s intention and it bounces out for an Australia lineout.
26 min Sexton sends it high again after catching Foley’s clearance but there is no one better under the high ball than Folau. Now the two sides exchange kicks and Kearney chases and wins it just outside the 22. Ireland can’t find a gap but they have possession in a good position now.
