It was with a sense of deja vu that I settled down to watch the boys whistle stop tour down under. Another town, another half empty stadium ,another defeat and another match they could have easily won. I for one am sick to the back teeth of newspaper headlines the next day of “Plucky Irish go down fighting” etc why not just tell it as it is “O’Driscoll and Flannery throw the game away for Irish”.
Much was made of the long season the Irish players have had, 53 weeks to quote Sky Sports when they include Ireland’s tour to Argentina last June, but we all know that was the A squad and the international players have been protected all year by the IRFU. The truth is the players fitness is not the problem. The ghost of Eddie still seems to linger over the team. Why Bradley replaced Best with Flannery after 50 minutes is beyond comprehension given Flannery’s performance all season. For once the set piece was going well, solid in the scrum and lineout back to normal and then it all goes pear shaped. Ulster players must think they come from the “Provence of Last Resort “. Sadly Bradley proved one thing, he is not the man to coach Ireland.
So to the match, with the roof closed in the Telstra Dome, the farce of the anthems out of the way, O’Gara kicks off, both sides look edgy early on but not for long, I have no idea what defensive pattern Ireland’s backs are playing but the ball is fed to Australia’s giant Fijian wing Lote Tuqiri and Horgan is nowhere to be seen, Kearney eventually hauls him down but Barnes is there to open the score with 5 minutes on the clock. Giteau missed the conversion. Australia 5 – 0 Ireland.
Ireland gain ground with lineout going well and with the backrow starting to look as if they actually know each other, Ireland find themselves with a lineout in the Australian 22. Best throws to the middle, Ireland catch and drive and Leamy is awarded the try under a pile of bodies. O’Gara adds the extras. Australia 5 – 7 Ireland.
The lead does not last for long, O’Connell gets turned over in the loose for the second week running and Ireland are under pressure in their own 22. Excellent play by Giteau and a nice offload to Horwell sees the big second row cross the line for Australia in his second test. Giteau converts. Australia 12 – 7 Ireland.
Jennings is replaced by Ulster favourite Stephen Ferris on 24 minutes. Jennings appeared to take a knock to the head early on. Bradley’s phone goes and he is told he has to sacrifice one of the other Ulster players as four on the pitch at once is totally unacceptable. Bradely holds out for a further 25 minutes.
French referees, don’t you just love them! Ireland scrummage Australia back 5 yards and he pings Ireland for not binding on the back row. Giteau converts. Australia 15 – 7 Ireland
Things start to hot up on the pitch and Sharpe appears to attempt to gouge Leamy but goes unpunished on 38 minutes. Bowe, showing his Ulster form, combines well with Heaslip and he thunders into Australia’s 22. Australia are penalized for not rolling away but Stringer takes a quick one and the chance is lost. Halftime.
The second half kicks off and Ireland rue not kicking an easy three points almost immediately when indecision in the Irish backs leads to an easy penalty and Giteau makes it Australia 18 – 7 Ireland. Bradley uses his bench on 50 minutes replacing Best and Hayes with Flannery and Buckley and the game is effectively over.
Ulstermen Bowe and Wallace combine well and Paddy advances well into Australian territory but cannot get his pass away and Australia clear,but Ireland have notched it up a gear. The game was lost in a two minute period last week and this week proved no different. O’Driscoll collects a kick wide on the right and storms down the wing, with Wallace in support a try looks certain, but his inside pass is a shocker and the chance is lost. (Every Sky Sports pundit blamed O’Driscoll except one … former Leinster prop Paul Wallace who blamed Paddy Wallace!) Seven more vital points lost.
With two thirds of the front row replaced Ireland are embarrassingly turned over in the scrum and Australia start kicking for touch as Flannery constantly fails to find his jumpers.
On the hour Ireland gain possession in their own half and Wallace produces a fantastic flat pass right out of David Humphrey’s text book to put Kearney and Bowe on their travels the two combine well with Leamy and Bowe with the line at his mercy passes inside to O’Driscoll who dots down. O’ Gara misses the crucial 2 points. Australia 18 – 12 Ireland.
Ireland empty the bench, but with the exception of Murphy, (Reddan was already on) none have the potential to break out of a wet paper bag, and the game is lost. Ireland finish on top, pressing Australia to the end but Flannery fails with lineout after lineout and good positions are lost. Final score Australia 18 – 12 Ireland
Well another season over and one which promised so much and delivered so little, who knows if another Munster man will change much next season. For the Ulstermen on show surely Rory Best has done enough to show he is the man for the number 2 shirt. Bowe has proved he should not have been left out ,Paddy Wallace surprised many and produced the goods when it mattered and was not the weak link many had suggested and Ferris will only get better the more he is exposed to test rugby. Of the rest of the squad down under I expect to see the following culled for the Autumn internationals; Dempsey, Horgan, Stringer and M O’Driscoll.
I can’t be the only one who would have loved to have seen Neil Best sorting out the contact area for Ireland in New Zealand and Australia instead of holding the A team together in North America … a f*@king disgrace.
AUSTRALIA : Shepherd, Hynes, Mortlock, Barnes, Tuqiri, Giteau, Burgess, Robinson, Moore, Dunning, Horwell, Sharpe, Elsom, Smith, Palu. Replacements: Freier, Baxter, Mumm, Waugh, Cordingley, Cross, Ashley-Cooper.
IRELAND : Kearney, Horgan, O’Driscoll, Wallace, Bowe, O’Gara, Stringer, Horan, Best, Hayes, O’Connell, O’Callaghan, Leamy, Jennings, Heaslip. Replacements: Flannery, Buckley, M O’Driscoll, Ferris, Reddan, Murphy, Dempsey.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.