Ireland v Australia LIVE: Rugby score and result as Irish end autumn with win over Wallabies
Ireland wrapped up the autumn internationals with victory in Dublin
Ireland fought back from a halftime deficit to mark a 150th anniversary with a scruffy 22-19 victory over Australia on Saturday, sealing the victory in the last eight minutes and denying their former coach Joe Schmidt a winning return.
The home side, celebrating Irish rugby’s birthday, were 13-5 down at the break but rallied back from an error-filled first half to post a narrow success.
Ireland’s points came from tries by Josh van der Flier, captain Caelan Doris and substitute Gus McCarthy, with new flyhalf Sam Prendergast contributing a penalty and conversion and his replacement Jack Crowley a conversion.
Max Jorgensen scored Australia’s lone try, with Noah Lolesio kicking over four penalties and a conversion, as they lost for a second straight week after Scotland beat them last Sunday.
Ireland 5-10 Australia
26 min: Ireland come forwards again, but the flowing move breaks down as Lowe and Ronan Kelleher work on different wavelengths and the wing’s pass finds touch.
Try! Ireland 5-10 Australia (Van der Flier, 22 min)
Ireland surge forwards trying to respond to Australia’s excellent start here. They win a lineout near the corner, catch it and pass quickly into midfield, where Josh van der Flier bundles over the line after a couple of phases! The crowd roars its approval.
Sam Prendergast makes a mess of a relatively straightforward kick, sending it across the posts.
Try! Ireland 0-10 Australia (Jorgensen, 19 min)
Excellent from Australia, who get behind Ireland’s line with a high kick which Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii claims and recycles for his teammates. Prendergast recovers to thwart Kellaway on the right wing, but the Wallabies work it to the other side where Max Jorgensen is in space to drive into the corner.
Lolesio adds two from the touchline.
Ireland 0-3 Australia
17 min: Lolesio tries a grubber for his left wing Max Jorgensen to chase, but James Lowe is wary and gets back to cut it out.
Ireland 0-3 Australia
15 min: Excellent by the Wallabies, who scramble to the breakdown inside their own 22 and overpower the Irish to earn themselves a penalty.
Ireland 0-3 Australia
13 min: Lolesio kicks well under pressure inside his own 22 and his boot finds touch near the halfway line. Ireland’s lineout finds an Australian hand and the Wallabies have it back.
Penalty! Ireland 0-3 Australia (Lolesio, 10 min)
The game is paused for a check on a head collision. It’s not particularly dangerous, but it’s enough for the officials to award a penalty to Australia against Joe McCarthy.
Noah Lolesio slots the kick from a central position in the Irish half.
Ireland 0-0 Australia
8 min: A good tempo to the match so far. Australia come forwards and try to use the width of their back line, making good inroads through Harry Wilson’s burst, but a missed pass sees the move unravel and the ball bounces out for an Irish lineout.
Ireland 0-0 Australia
5 min: Ireland quickly work the ball across the field for fullback Hugo Keenan, who surges through a narrow gap, but he’s tackled and stripped of the ball by wing Andrew Kellaway before he can reach the line.
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