HELLO AND WELCOME to tonight’s liveblog as Ireland complete their Autumn Series with a Test against the Wallabies at the Aviva Stadium.
Victory would make Ireland the first team to defeat three Southern Hemisphere giants – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – in a calendar year since 2002.
Can they do it? As ever we are seeking your opinion in the comments section below. So let us know if you think Ireland have the quality and temperament to outplay Dave Rennie’s talented but inconsistent side.
Here are your teams for this evening’s game.
Ireland:
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Mack Hansen
- 13. Garry Ringrose
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 11. Jimmy O’Brien
- 10. Johnny Sexton (captain)
- 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Dan Sheehan
- 3. Tadhg Furlong
- 4. Tadhg Beirne
- 5. James Ryan
- 6. Peter O’Mahony
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
- 16. Rob Herring
- 17. Cian Healy
- 18. Finlay Bealham
- 19. Joe McCarthy
- 20. Jack Conan
- 21. Craig Casey
- 22. Jack Crowley
- 23. Bundee Aki
Australia:
- 15. Andrew Kellaway
- 14. Mark Nawaqanitawase
- 13. Len Ikitau
- 12. Hunter Paisami
- 11. Tom Wright
- 10. Bernard Foley
- 9. Nic White
- 1. James Slipper (captain)
- 2. David Porecki
- 3. Allan Alaalatoa
- 4. Nick Frost
- 5. Cadeyrn Neville
- 6. Jed Holloway
- 7. Michael Hooper
- 8. Rob Valetini
Replacements:
- 16. Folau Fainga’a
- 17. Tom Robertson
- 18. Taniela Tupou
- 19. Will Skelton
- 20. Pete Samu
- 21. Jake Gordon
- 22. Noah Lolesio
- 23. Jordan Petaia
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe [NZR].
If you want to get some pre-match reading, you have come to the right place. Here is Murray Kinsella’s big match preview.
Ciaran Kennedy, meanwhile, spoke to Leinster and Australia legend, Scott Fardy. His thoughts are here.
And then there is George Gregan, who Ciaran also spoke to in advance of today’s big match. He had plenty to say in this interview.
Murray Kinsella, meanwhile, spoke to Mike Catt about Ireland’s new star at No10, Jack Crowley.
Jack Crowley turned Ronan O’Gara and La Rochelle down because he believed he could establish himself as Munster’s first-choice out-half and become an Ireland international sooner rather than later.
The Matt Williams derby at the Aviva tonight! 😅
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 19, 2022
Matt goes through the Wallabies starting team here. #IREvAUS | #ANS pic.twitter.com/znkxDHDJ2K
Interesting comments by Gregor Townsend on Finn Russell. After impressing against the All Blacks, the 30-year-old was the man at the heart of Scotland’s eight-try triumph over the Pumas as he firmly re-established himself as Scotland’s main option at number 10.
“Yes, he’s now the man in possession,” said Townsend. “Finn’s played really well the last two weeks and it will take something (special) from Blair and Adam to change that.”
Asked about Russell’s display, Townsend said: “He was very good. There are parts to his game that maybe don’t get talked about a huge amount.
“I said to him in the changing room he had three tackles in a row in the first half, so he showed his competitiveness there.
“He’s got a very good carrying game and his offloads created really good line-breaks.”
Your commentary team of Dave McIntyre & Alan Quinlan have a pre-match pitchside chat!
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 19, 2022
▪️ Underestimating Australia?
▪️ The type of game we'll see
▪️ The weather #IREvAUS | #ANS pic.twitter.com/73tYWN70eV
Sexton ruled out so Jack Crowley starts for Ireland against Wallabies: https://t.co/MzuHaVCbng
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 19, 2022
Big news from the Aviva. So no Sexton.
Jack Crowley, let’s be havin’ ya.
Anthems over – and bless them – but there aren’t too many boyband contenders among either squad. Not a note among them.
We are underway.
2 minutes – Scrum to Australia after a dropped catch by Jamison Gibson Park.
In other news, Nic White’s tash is shocking.
Penalty awarded to Australia for an Irish offside.
2 minutes Hunter Paisami down with a nasty looking injury. Looks like his night is over.
Australia take a tap and go from that penalty.
4 minutes – Paisami staying on – brave man. He is involved as Australia look to score first – Nic White gets across the line but try is ruled out for an illegal clear out on Josh van der Flier.
5 minutes – Crowley finds touch. James Ryan gets a good take at the lineout; Doris runs well; Gibson-Park launches a ball into the Dublin sky; good kickchase from Mack Hansen and Tadhg Beirne wins the turnover. Penalty, Ireland. Crowley finds touch.
8 minutes – Nice diagonal run by Jimmy O’Brien; his pass gives Hansen the chance to do something but winger’s kick does not find the space he craved. Australia regain possession. Still, throw to Ireland outside the 22. Sheehan finds Ryan; Ireland put McCloskey up the middle and win a penalty. Jack Crowley, over to you.
9 minutes PENALTY IRELAND (Crowley)
Nice kick from 30 metres for the Munster man.
10 minutes James Slipper looks serious miffed; four penalties going against his side so far. That’s shocking.
12 minutes – Bit of kick tennis between Gibson Park and Jordan Petaia. Another line out to Ireland, just inside the Australian half; Beirne gathers, maul forms, goes sideways; Stuart McCloskey tidies up a messy situation and then Gibson Park sends in a great kick to the corner.
14 minutes – Peter O’Mahony makes a great attempt to intercept that Australian throw but knocks it on, inadvertently.
16 minutes – Ben O’Keeffe awards Australia a penalty for a high tackle on Foley. Foley then sends a decent kick into the 22.
17 minutes – Nic White bundled over by Caelan Doris – knock-on results in Irish scrum, which was just as well as Mack Hansen has his clearance kick blocked down.
18 minutes Hunter Paisami’s leg has given up on him for the night. He’s off. Jordan Petaia is on.
19 minutes – Doris caught offside. Penalty to Australia. Foley lining up a kick to equalise.
21 minutes Foley makes a mess of that penalty. Still 3-0 to Ireland. Strange game. Tell us what you think of it in the comments section.
23 minutes Breaking news. Rob Valetini: great ball carrier; great hair.
Meanwhile, Garry Ringrose has been penalised for not rolling away and this match has yet to really start. Foley sends it into the 22, Neville gathers the lineout, Slipper gets across the gainline; Slipper again carries, gets tackled by Andfrew Porter; Nick Frost outs in a carry and then Mark Nawaqanitawase makes a break in the outside but Ringrose puts in a brilliant covering tackle.
26 minutes You can’t help feeling that was a pivotal moment in this game. Australia chalked up 21 phases but they failed to breach the Ireland defence. In the end, Caelan Doris forces a turnover. One aspect of Ireland’s game that has not got much praise in recent times is their defence. Simon Easterby is underrated as a coach.
27 minutes – Sheehan again finds his man from the lineout – Peter O’Mahony gathering this time; the play moves into the left corner where a bit of a schmozzle breaks out to steal a GAA phrase. Mark Nawaqanitawase and Sheehan get involved in a bit of pushing and shoving. Nothing serious.
29 minutes – Ireland have now given away three penalties in a row – James Ryan penalised this time for an infringement at the lineout. Game has yet to get going.
32 minutes – Serious pressure from Australia ends with Tadhg Furlong – yes Tadhg Furlong – launching a clearance kick which gets to halfway. Australia regather and win another penalty, Andrew Porter the guilty party this time. Ireland’s discipline has been poor but their defence has been incredible.
34 minutes – Australia have had 65 per cent of the ball; Ireland have had 100 per cent of the resilience on offer. Under pressure inside their own 22, they steal an Australian lineout; Furlong tidying up things at the tail of the lineout, James Ryan was the one who got his fingers to David Porecki’s throw.
36 minutes – Another period of sustained Australian pressure. Yet they go nowhere, Foley tries a grubber kick. It goes to touch. Ireland’s defence has been exceptional here. Not much else has impressed.
Shout out to Ireland fans David O’Rourke, Shane Brody and Ollie O’Farrell from Westmeath.
37 minutes – Jimmy O’Brien’s left foot set to be the most talked about since Christy Brown’s. Another tidy clearance from the winger.
37 minutes – yellow card for Folau Fainga’a, the replacement hooker, for a neck roll on Josh van der Flier.
38 minutes – some great attacking play from Ireland, from O’Brien’s diagonal run, to Crowley running the attack with some clever passes; Furlong put in some tidy footwork, Ryan a big carry. A penalty goes Ireland’s way and they go to the corner where Doris takes Sheehan’s throw.
Irish maul makes serious ground but Sheehan is stopped just shy. Gibson Park then puts a foot in touch.
HALF-TIME – Ireland 3-0 Australia
Unimpressive first half from both sides; Australia dominant in terms of possession but missing a spark, a bit of imagination. Ireland’s defence has been incredibly impressive – not least the efforts that Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier are putting in – but that’s about it as far as plus points are concerned.
Poor discipline from both sides has spoiled this game. Somehow Ireland are ahead; somehow Australia are still scoreless. We could lie and say it is an absorbing game. It isn’t. It has been a hard watch.
Second half about to get underway here.
42 minutes A decent attack from Ireland ends with Michael Hooper thieving possession off Gibson Park. Up until then, the passing patterns involving Furlong, McCloskey and Crowley was top notch.
44 minutes – Another good Irish attack; Ryan makes a good carry; Sheehan and Furlong’s footwork is impressive; McCloskey’s distribution is tidy but a forward pass ends with an Australian scrum. By a quirk of the lads, Australia now have to go down to 13 players – because they have a hooker in the bin and another hooker is injured.
They have two and a half minutes with 13 men.
43 minutes – Rob Valetini is off the pitch for the next two minutes. Lineout to Ireland. They need to make the most of this numerical advantage. Instead Jamison Gibson Park runs into touch.
45 minutes – Michael Hooper ends up throwing into the lineout. That was the worst darts I’ve seen since Bullseye was on ITV in the 1980s.
46 minutes TMO will check whether Mack Hansen’s foot was in touch. Otherwise it is a try for Ireland for Gibson Park.
Try ruled out. Hansen’s right boot was in touch.
46 minutes – Australia back up to 13. Yet again Ireland have struggled against 13 players – same thing happened when they played Italy in the Six Nations and also when it was 15 versus 13 in second test of summer tour to New Zealand.
47 minutes Nic White looks set to leave the field with a head injury. His day is over.
Jake Gordon comes in.
48 minutes – Fine defence from Australia; Ireland applied plenty of pressure in the Wallabies 22 but McCloskey’s distribution let him down. Sheehan, earlier, had made a fine carry. Valetini is going off for a HIA.
48 minutes Valetini penalised for a high tackle on Sheehan – the tackle that led to the Australian’s injury. After a review, he does not get a yellow card – quite rightly. Ireland get a penalty and Crowley sends it to the corner.
49 minutes – That was just a brilliant turnover from Australia, five metres from their line, just as Ireland were looking to turn the screw. Ireland have dominated the second half but have no points to show for their intent. Andrew Porter penalised for coming in from the side. Hooper, again, showing his class for Australia.
52 minutes Momentum has swung back to Australia. They have won a scrum, succeeded with a counter ruck and repelled Ireland’s attack. Bench has now been emptied and Will Skelton is on.
53 minutes – Knock on by Jack Conan at the Ireland lineout. Scrum, Australia just inside their 22. Bundee Aki on for McCloskey.
54 minutes Penalty to Australia from that scrum.
54 minutes Replacement tighthead Taniela Tupou is going off with an injury; Allan Alaalatoa is coming back in. Nic White is back in after passing his HIA.
54 minutes PENALTY AUSTRALIA (FOLEY)
Ireland 3-3 Australia
After missing from a similar angle, and distance, in the first half, Foley lands a penalty from 31 metres to level the scores.
55 minutes – Australia win Crowley’s restart and all of a sudden this game is going back in the Wallabies favour as Beirne is penalised.
57 minutes Some kick tennis ends with advantage Hugo Keenan. Foley loses that particular battle.
59 minutes – Joe McCarthy has come on for his Ireland debut replacing Tadhg Beirne.
61 minutes Doris, brilliant again tonight, wins a penalty. But let’s be straight: they have played poorly tonight.
62 minutes – Finlay Bealham has come in for Furlong; Craig Casey for Gibson Park. Australia, meanwhile, steal Sheehan’s throw. Ireland unable to apply pressure just when they need to.
64 minutes – Will Skelton makes his presence felt; Jimmy O’Brien knocks on. Still, a penalty given to Ireland on back of Garry Ringrose getting tackled in the air by Jake Gordon. Crowley finds a good touch, 15 metres from the Aussie line.
TRY IRELAND (AKI)
66 minutes – Ireland 10-3 Australia
Well that was finally what we have come to expect from Ireland. Ryan takes the lineout; Doris makes a huge carry; then some great recycling work, Porter and Bealham making great contributions before Craig Casey seizes responsibility and gives Aki a run at the line from three yards. He was not going to be stopped from there.
Crowley kicks the conversion.
68 minutes – Sheehan penalised at the breakdown. Foley kicks the ball into Ireland’s 22.
TRY AUSTRALIA (Jordan Petaia) 70 minutes
70 minutes – Ireland 10-10 Australia
Skelton’s carry takes out five Irish defenders; the upshot is that space opens up on the opposite wing and Jordan Petaia gets possession with a three on one overlap. He exploits the space and scores. Foley adds the conversion.
71 minutes – Ross Byrne is in for Crowley.
74 minutes From an attacking scrum, Ireland get a scrum penalty. The angle is difficult but Ross Byrne – on for Crowley – is going to go for the posts.
76 minutes PENALTY IRELAND (Byrne)
Ireland 13-10 Australia
He wasn’t even in the matchday squad at 7pm but Ross Byrne has just put Ireland ahead at 10.01pm.
78 minutes Penalty awarded to Australia
78 minutes Foley and Australia are going for the win – Foley kicks to the corner
They win the lineout
But lose the penalty.
79 minutes Jake Gordon is the guilty party. Ross Byrne finds touch.
Herring does not find his man. Australia – and Skelton – on the charge.
Clock in the red.
FULL-TIME IRELAND 13-10 AUSTRALIA
Ireland 13-10 Australia
A tense game, filled with poor discipline and poor attack, ends with an Ireland win. They won’t look back in fondness at this one, though. Their attack failed to click but their defence more than compensated for that. That is now 12 wins in a row at home for Ireland and in Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier, Ireland have two of the best back row players in the world.
That’s where the good points end. Neither Ireland nor Australia were great there tonight. Credit Ross Byrne. He had one shot at glory. He took it. He started the night outside the matchday squad. He ends it as a hero.