AUSTRALIA v IRELAND LIVE TEXT
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By Jack Leahy
Sports Editor
That’s it from me. Thanks for following with us, now for 11.30am cider!
Sorry the updating was a bit frenzied there, but Ireland have indeed taken a 15-6 victory over Australia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Conor Murray had a late try disallowed for what looks like a forward pass, and Tommy Bowe’s 90m intercept stopped 5m short by an amazing tackle from James O’Connor. GWAN THE LADS!
FULL-TIME IRELAND 15-6 AUSTRALIA – HISTORY IS MADE!
79mins Try disallowed for Conor Murray. Less than one minute, game is won. GAME IS WON.
77mins Impossible to overstate how close Genia was. So, so close. Aussie pen five, taken quickly but stopped. Intercepted BY TOMMY BOWE! HE’S GOING! OH GOD! STOPPED 2m short! Oh god. Breathe.
75mins Aussie scrum-five, Genia centimetres from line and stopped by Sean O’Brien. Trojan defending here, Ireland draw breath as Aussies pack down for another scrum.
74mins Aussie ball-carriers swarmed upon like a honey-covered flower. Ashley-Cooper takes his team into the 22 and OH MY GOD Anthony Fainga’a’s pass would certainly have found James O’Connor over the line had he looked up. Wow.
72mins Cooper foiled once more by Johnny Sexton. Great defence from the Leinster man. Everything going Ireland’s way right now but Aussies always dangerous.
70mins IRELAND 15-6 AUSTRALIA There’s now more than a converted try in this as Ronan O’Gara slots home a straightforward penalty after further pack pressure dismantled the Aussie scrum. If you have heart medicine, take it now.
69mins But we’re not away; Aussie scrum stuck 5m out and underfoot conditions aren’t helping. IRISH PENALTY!
67mins That was it. That was the chance. Gone. Rob Kearney does so well to gather the ball in the Aussie 22 and with the pack within 2m of the Ausslie line, Cian Healy knocks on. Disaster. Hope it doesn’t cost us.
65mins Big green sigh of relief as Will Genia once again frustrated by accidental offside. He hasn’t had an inch all night. Ireland looking very assured as the rain comes down heavily.
63mins IRELAND 12-6 AUSTRALIA GO ON YOU GOOD THING! Ronan O’Gara slots it home with all the assurance of 1000+ test points. It’s going to be a long 18 minutes and Ireland have to keep their wits about them.
61mins Irish scrum in the middle of the pitch 40m out, and just confirming its unexpected dominance as the Aussie front three end up with their faces in the dirt again. PENALTY IRELAND! ROG TO TAKE.
57mins SO WAS THAT! Counter-attack off the Irish line and Tommy Bowe’s grubber just about evades Adam Ashley-Cooper’s hands. Could have been a try either way if it had bounced differently. Conor Murray on for Eoin Reddan.
56mins THAT WAS CLOSE. First real Aussie threat is a serious one, as Quade Cooper jinks through the Irish defence deep inside the 22. Somehow, his offload pass ends up in touch as James O’Connor can’t gather. Paul O’Connell did amazingly well to just about get hold of the number 10’s jersey.
53mins Australia try to run from their own 22 and are almost punished. Just about manage to get out as Jamie Heaslip finds himself isolated.
52mins Irish pack beginning to turn the screw and take another penalty from their opposite numbers. Huge call here – Sexton is taking the kick with O’Gara on the pitch. A worthwhile gamble? No. Hits the post and O’Driscoll can’t gather the rebound.
50mins Gordan D’Arcy looks in pain as he’s replaced by Ronan O’Gara, who’ll slot into number ten and push Johnny Sexton into inside centre.
48mins AUSTRALIA 9-6 IRELAND Irish penalty after a maul is collapsed quite cynically by Nathan Sharpe. Sexton finds touch and the backline flow, punctuated by O’Brien’s line-break. Australian offside gives Sexton another effort gratefully converted… THE DREAM IS BACK ON! I REPEAT: THE DREAM IS BACK ON!
44mins Cooper’s end product hasn’t been great. He steps and shifts but hasn’t produced. Rob Kearney’s grubber just beats Tommy Bowe into touch, but Ireland switch off and a quick line-out allows Beale to send it long into the Irish 22. Shocking concentration from Bowe and a warning that you can’t switch off.
42mins Australia have it on a plate. Swift exchange of passes between backs and clever offloads bring them within 10m, but the surprisingly human Cooper plays an awful pass that Stephen Ferris gratefully gathers.
41mins: AND WE’RE OFF AGAIN! Johnny Sexton kicks off with Ronan O’Gara looming on the sidelines.
HT: The IRFU (@irfurugby) on Twitter: ”Pause for breath. Lozenge for the throat. Incredible atmosphere in O2 and Eden Park. Come on Ireland”. #RWC11
HT: Right, I’m off for an eight-minute break. If you’re on cloud nine right now, sober yourself with the memory of what happened to the Italians when they went in at 6-6 last weekend.
Jack Leahy’s half-time snapshot: ”Ireland are competitive but not clinical, and could be going in six points ahead had Sexton had his radar switched on. Irish forwards absolutely dominant but when you don’t take your chances against big teams you regret it after 80mins.”
HALF-TIME: AUSTRALIA 6-6 IRELAND.
40mins Will Genia mauled to pieces by Stephen Ferris and the Irish pack draw another set-piece. The Ulster flanker loses it in the contact 30 seconds later and that’s that, HALF TIME.
38mins Ireland draw another penalty from the Aussie scrum; Mike Ross is running rampant, and that’s something I never thought possible. Sexton finds touch but ensuing line-out ends up in Aussie hands. Have to take these chances because there might not be many more.
34mins Terrible decision from Bryce Lawrence – Eoin Reddan blocked from passing by offside lazy runner who was never onside. Knock-on called. Robs Ireland of position on Aussie 22.
31mins Australia employ the questionable defensive tactic of moving the defensively weak Cooper to full-back, where he spills Johnny Sexton’s garryowen and gives Ireland a decent position near the Aussie ten-metre line. Cian Healy and Rory Best force the Australian front row down and Johnny Sexton pushes a straight penalty wide. Gulp.
26mins Not well, is the answer. Jamie Heaslip inexcusably handles the ball while on the ground and O’Connor just sends a long-distance penalty wide. We need leaders now, before this all goes down the drain.
24mins AUS 6-6 IRE Sean O’Brien offside – silly penalty, really silly penalty – and that man O’Connor is on hand to bisect the posts despite thundering choruses of The Fields of Athenry. How do Ireland respond?
21mins Ireland defending like their lives depended on it as Australia look perpetually menacing. Cooper looks dangerous every time he touches the ball and, nationalism aside, it’s hard to imagine that himself and Beale won’t create something significant today.
20mins University Times rugby correspondent Cal Gray: ”Ah yes, these first 20 minutes of extreme promise. Where have I seen this before?”
18mins AUS 3-6 IRE Ireland surge into Aussie 22 but quickly lose momentum, Johnny Sexton cleverly decides to leave with something and slots a quick stab of a drop-goal. Very important to keep the scoreboard ticking but this game will be very long.
15mins Real cut and thrust about Ireland now. Let’s hope they remember to play for 80 minutes instead of 40, though.
14mins AUS 3-3 IRE Kearney makes amends for having been beaten to the ball by Beale by returning the favour. This sets a platform for some swift Irish attacking play in the Aussie 22. Advantage is played for offside and Johnny Sexton decides to have a go again – AND SENDS IT OVER!
12mins Ireland have the chance to hit back immediately through a kickable penalty, but Johnny Sexton sends it wide after a brief flirtation with the post. He needed that one, you know…
Irish Daily Mail deputy features editor Gillian Fitzpatrick (@gillianfitz) on Twitter: ”Is feider linn! #RWC11”
9mins AUSTRALIA 3-0 IRELAND The penalty comes to Australia after Irish scrum fails its first big test. James O’Connor easily converts from under the post and Australia are on the board.
7mins Scrum to Australia 5m out after a breathlessly desperate period of Irish defence. Kearney well beaten by Beale in the air to start it all off, which is worrying when you consider how famously good Kearney is under the high ball.
5mins Ball knocked on by Quade Cooper in the Irish 22 after he knocked over Eoin Reddan. but Kurtley Beale collects and is high-tackled by Rob Kearney. Penalty to Australia near touchline sent just wide by winger James O’Connor. Small margins will win this game…
4mins Early signs are that this’ll be a very open game. Ireland find themselves in possession after a short 22 drop-out falls straight to Gordon D’Arcy, and a few attacking phases later Genia manages to pull it out and clear. Ireland definitely in the frame of mind for one of those famed Irish performances.
3mins RTE commentary is about 2seconds behind the play.
1min and that kick-off goes straight into the hands of Keith Earls, whose foot is well in touch. Ireland manage to draw the scrum after Australia win the line-out. Phew, that could’ve been awful.
KICK OFF! And we’re away here at the iconic Eden Park as Quade Cooper lashes that mercurial right boot through the ball.
09:29 Emma Tobin (@emztoby) on Twitter: ”George Hook, I want your tie”.
09:27 Atmosphere electric at Eden Park. Not that I’d know, sitting on my Gran’s couch typing away…
09:24 The teams are out on the pitch! Ireland’s Call to be followed by Advance Australia Fair shortly. COME ON IRELAND!!
09:23 ”The problem is that this team is playing rugby ten years behind the rest of the civilised world” – RTÉ’s George Hook.
09:20 Don’t buy into these arguments that Reddan and Sexton is the wrong choice because they haven’t played together too frequently at this level. They’re club-mates, for God’s sake.
09:19 Speaking of new studio additions, Frankie Sheehan is in for Conor O’Shea on the national broadcaster. Sometimes RTE make it so easy for Apres Match.
09:17 If you want to join in on this, tweet @Jack_Leahy or add a comment to this article. Please, it’s very lonely…
09:14 This game would well come down to how well Ireland contain Will Genia, who George Hook reckons is the best scrum-half in the world. Sean O’Brien will have to completely change his usual barnstorming style and win on the ground and snuff out the enormous threat of the half-backs.
09:10 Girvan Dempsey making his pundit bow in the ITV studio. ITV published a World Cup magazine about 6 weeks ago and advertised Geordan Murphy’s punditry ”unless he makes a miraculous recovery to play”. Dempsey in for the non-injured Murphy? It’s 2006 all over again. My advice is to not by property or bank shares!
09:07 Darragh Kelly (@iamDarragh) on Twitter: ”Popey giving us hope…not fair”.
09:03 Last time these two sides met in the World Cup, Ireland went down 17-16 Down Under in 2003 but still made it out of the group stages. How many of us would take that now? Reckon I would.
09:00 Here we go! Coverage starts now on RTE 1. I’m excited and optimistic, especially now that Pocock and Digby Ioane are out. Can we do it?
08:57 Good morning everyone, and how thankful I am for the relatively late kick-off time. Just in case you haven’t heard, Aussie flanker David Pocock is OUT of the clash with a back strain. He’ll be replaced by Ben McCalam.
