By SABC Sport
30th November 2024
Tries from Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris and Gus McCarthy along with the extras off the tee from Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley saw the Irish to a workmanlike victory.
Australia will look back on this match as one they perhaps should have won, with their only try coming from Max Jorgensen as Noah Lolesio kicked 14 points in the fixture.
It was a first period somewhat lacking in entertainment as Australia went into the break deservedly leading 13-5 thanks to a try from young Jorgenson and Lolesio's boot.
Ireland did start strongly though and almost opened the scoring but for full-back Hugo Keenan having the ball stripped from his grasp just five metres from the try-line.
The Wallabies compounded the spillage by slotting a penalty on nine minutes, this after Ireland lock Joe McCarthy had made head contact with Australia's Rob Valetini.
Australia had their tails up at this point and would cross the whitewash on 19 minutes, with an in-form Lolesio instrumental in Jorgenson diving over on the left wing.
Lolesio's excellent touchline extras took Australia into a 10-0 lead but Van der Flier's short-range carry soon brought Ireland back into it at 10-5. However, the hosts would have expected Prendergast to add the conversion as a bad miss meant the Wallabies still had a nice cushion in their locker with just over a quarter of the match gone.
They extended the lead to eight on 33 minutes when prop Taniela Tupou's interception and wayward offload resulted in a breakdown penalty which Lolesio coolly nailed.
It was perhaps symptomatic of Ireland's first-half woes that the action finished with a misfiring lineout deep in Australia's 22, with the latter trotting in feeling positive.
However, Ireland were much improved on their return and fly-half Prendergast chipped away at that lead on 43 minutes with a penalty from in front of the posts for 13-8.
Six minutes later they would hold the lead for the first time in the fixture when a kick to the corner led to quick ball and number eight Doris diving under the uprights.
That lead was snatched back by Australia though on 55 minutes when replacement Tom O'Toole was pinged for not releasing the ball carrier, meaning it was now 16-15.
Lolesio was on target once again on 63 minutes with a long-range effort as the Wallabies went 19-15 up and were looking in a positive space ahead of the game's finale.
However, the bench saved Andy Farrell's men as the injection of speedy service from Craig Casey coupled with a maul try from the promising McCarthy sealed the victory.