Wallabies Overrun Ireland

Australia scored four second half tries to push clear for a 37-15 victory over a gallant Irish side at Perth’s Subiaco Oval on Saturday.

SUMMER TOUR: Saturday, June 24

AUSTRALIA 37 IRELAND 15, Subiaco Oval, Perth (Att: 38,200)

Scorers: Australia: Tries: Chris Latham, Mark Gerrard, Greg Holmes, George Gregan, Cameron Shepherd; Cons: Stirling Mortlock 3; Pens: Mortlock 2

Ireland: Tries: Ronan O’Gara, Neil Best; Con: O’Gara; Pen: O’Gara

Full-Time – Australia 37 Ireland 15 – certainly there is a flattering look to the scoreboard as Ireland end their season in Perth. The Wallabies continue their good form from their defeats of England, displaying a sound ability to put sides away but the Irish tired in the closing stages and offered them too many chances. George Gregan is named as man-of-the-match. Encouragingly, the Irish replacements all got a run-out in the closing 20 minutes with prop Bryan Young and scrum half Isaac Boss coming on for their second caps.

77 mins – Australia try! Wallaby replacement Cameron Shepherd is worked in for a try which was carved out straight off the top of the lineout. Stirling Mortlock converts. Australia 37 Ireland 15.

67 mins – Australia try! George Gregan gets in for a try which really puts the game beyond the reach of the Irish. David Wallace was forced to touch the ball down behind the Irish line, offering the Wallabies a five-metre scrum and Gregan nipped in for the hosts’ fourth try off the set piece. Stirling Mortlock misses the conversion. Australia 30 Ireland 15.

59 mins – Australia try! Two tries in five minutes at a crucial stage for the Wallabies – disappointing stuff from Ireland. Speedy prop Greg Holmes runs all the way in from his own 10-metre line after a big hit by Lote Tuqiri on Andrew Trimble saw the ball spill into open play. Holmes gathered and tore off for the line. Stirling Mortlock converts to put ten points between the sides. Australia 25 Ireland 15.

55 mins – Australia try! Mark Gerrard comes in off the right wing to score on the opposite flank despite the best efforts of Peter Stringer and Shane Horgan. Stirling Mortlock converts. Australia 18 Ireland 15.

52 mins – Australia bring in some front row reinforcements with prop Al Baxter and hooker Jeremy Paul drafted in.

51 mins – Ireland try! Brilliant support play sees the Irish get in for a second try. Jerry Flannery, Andrew Trimble and Denis Leamy are all involved as flanker Neil Best rounds in at the left corner to help the visitors go in front. Ronan O’Gara converts for a sudden 15-11 lead. Australia 11 Ireland 15.

47 mins – A Mark Gerrard kick rolls into touch just two metres from the Irish try line. Jerry Flannery’s throw, having been pinched twice in the previous five minutes, is a good one and Ireland work the ball clear.

42 mins – Ireland try! Ronan O’Gara gets Ireland right back into it with a well-worked try. It looked as if the move was petering out as Marcus Horan opted to go back inside, but a high kick from O’Gara to the right corner was gathered in by Shane Horgan, over the head of George Gregan, and David Wallace was the link man, offloading for O’Gara to dot down. The conversion is missed. Australia 11 Ireland 8.

Second Half – Kick-Off – Stirling Mortlock restarts, Paul O’Connell fumbles slightly but the ball goes back. O’Connell is central to an early attack for Ireland. A snappy start to the second half.

Half-time – No signs of panic from Ireland as they are still very much in touch with the Wallabies at the interval, trailing 11-3. Australia’s dominance in the opening 25 minutes has not borne through on the scoreboard.

39 mins – Ireland force a penalty, which Ronan O’Gara kicks to touch – George Smith is the sinner (not for the first time!) Jerry Flannery finds Paul O’Connell at a lineout, but the Irish drive is halted as the ball is lost forward.

38 mins – Ronan O’Gara has a shot at the posts from a penalty on the Australian 10-metre line but it hits the right post. The difference between the Gilbert and Summit balls are there for all to see – the Munster out-half would probably have added to Ireland’s tally with a Gilbert ball.

36 mins – Australia penalty! Stirling Mortlock punishes the Irish pack for an offside in front of their posts. Good runs by Rocky Elsom and George Smith created the opportunity. Australia 11 Ireland 3.

35 mins – A leg injury for Mat Rogers forces Australian coach John Connolly into making the first change – Clyde Rathbone is summoned from the bench.

32 mins – Peter Stringer is fortunate not to cough up a try as he retreats to gather a kick over the top from Chris Latham. Stringer’s pass in-field is wayward, George Gregan snaps onto it but the world’s most-capped player has a foot in touch when a try looked certain.

29 mins – Ireland penalty! Ronan O’Gara lands his ninth successful kick from 11 attempts on tour to get the Irish on the scoreboard. Australia 8 Ireland 3.

27 mins – A good phase of play sees the Australian line of defence broken by Paul O’Connell. Ireland rampage through with Gordon D’Arcy making the hard yards on a quick break. The men in green earn a penalty, just inside the hosts’ 22.

22 mins – Australia try! This was coming – Australia have had complete control of possession for the opening quarter and the pressure eventually told with full-back Chris Latham coming into the line at just the right time and darting in at the left corner for incredibly his fourth try in his last four games against Ireland. Stirling Mortlock drifts the conversion wide. Australia 8 Ireland 0.

17 mins – Ireland take some confidence from a good defensive phase – Rocky Elsom, Mark Gerrard and Nathan Sharpe all pick and drive from inside the Irish 22, but the green brick wall holds firm. Peter Stringer snaffles onto the turnover ball and clears.

13 mins – Australia penalty! Stirling Mortlock dinks over a penalty from 35 metres out to hand the Wallabies the first points. Australia 3 Ireland 0.

9 mins – Mat Rogers is almost through for the game’s opening try but debutant prop Guy Shepherdson’s pass is ruled forward over the Irish 22-metre line.

8 mins – The hosts are on the front foot – Stirling Mortlock flicks a penalty into the right corner. A cross-field kick from Stephen Larkham searches out Lote Tuqiri but Girvan Dempsey does well to wade in and pluck the ball out of the sky.

5 mins – The Wallabies defend well on their own 22 as Mat Rogers stays on his feet at a ruck and the Irish are pinged for holding onto the ball.

3 mins – Denis Leamy is found by Jerry Flannery at Ireland’s first lineout. Leamy is pulled down at the set piece and Ronan O’Gara opts to kick the penalty to touch with the Australian goal 50 metres away.

2 minutes – A good steal by Denis Leamy in midfield sees Shane Horgan flash a kick through which bounces into touch just outside the Australian 22. Debutant Tai McIsaac finds his man and the Wallabies clear.

Kick-Off – Ronan O’Gara launches a kick which is gathered in by Lote Tuqiri as play gets underway in Perth at 11.06am Irish time.

Pre-Match – So the end of a long, hard season is nigh. The scene is set at the Subiaco Oval for one of the most competititve clashes between Australia and Ireland in recent memory. It is a 25th meeting in all with the Wallabies out in front with 17 wins – no draws so far.

Ireland’s seventh and last victory came in November 2002 when a rain-hit Lansdowne Road witnessed Ronan O’Gara boot six penalties for a 18-9 success. The men in green’s last win against the Wallabies on Australian soil was back in 1979.

With the Lansdowne Cup on the line, Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has made one change to his starting line-up from last weekend’s second Test defeat to New Zealand – Girvan Dempsey replaces Geordan Murphy at full-back. There is also a switch on the replacements bench with Denis Hickie making way for back-up out-half Jeremy Staunton.

The Aussies, on a high after their Cook Cup whitewashing of England, have made three changes to their side – the world’s most-capped player George Gregan starts in place of Sam Cordingley for his 121st cap. In the front row, Guy Shepherdson comes in for his debut at tighthead prop in place of the injured Rodney Blake. A ruptured ligament injury for hooker Adam Freier sees Tai McIsaac called up.

It has been a bright sunny day in Perth with a low temperature of 7 degrees and a high of 22. Underfoot conditions are good and a big crowd is expected at the 43,500-capacity ‘Subi’. Western Australia time is seven hours ahead of Irish summer time so kick-off is 6.00pm local time.

AUSTRALIA: Chris Latham; Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri; Stephen Larkham, George Gregan (capt); Greg Holmes, Tai McIsaac, Guy Shepherdson, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Mark Chisolm, George Smith, Rocky Elsom.

Replacements: Jeremy Paul, Al Baxter, Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh, Sam Cordingley, Clyde Rathbone, Cameron Shepherd.

IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Andrew Trimble; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Neil Best, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Rory Best, Bryan Young, Mick O’Driscoll, Keith Gleeson, Isaac Boss, Jeremy Staunton, Geordan Murphy.

Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Steve Walsh, Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)

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