Joe Schmidt’s emotional return to Dublin has fallen agonisingly flat as Ireland edged his Wallabies 22-19 in a scrappy but absorbing Test to provide a sobering end to what had begun as such a promising northern tour odyssey.
Back at his old Aviva Stadium stamping ground where he led Ireland to so much European glory over six heady years, Schmidt’s valiant Australia just couldn’t quite spoil Irish rugby’s 150th anniversary celebrations on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).
Yet Schmidt wouldn’t be downhearted, insisting he was proud and predicting that despite the ledger reading two wins and two losses on tour, his team had made significant progress.
“They demonstrated a level of grit that you need if you’re going to be competitive with the Lions and Ireland, the No.2 team in the world, and we made them work pretty hard,” said Schmidt.
“We’d love to have got the W ourselves, but from where we started at the end of last November, to where we are now, there’s more confidence in what we’re delivering.”
Indeed, the Wallabies came so close. It was maybe their best performance on tour, highlighted by a stirring defensive performance, towering efforts from their back-rowers, a fine try for Max Jorgensen, and 14 points from the immaculate boot of Noah Lolesio.
Still, on an emotional day with veteran replacement Cian Healy becoming Ireland’s most capped player on his 134th appearance, Ireland weren’t to be denied as they came from 10-0 down early and 19-15 behind after 62 minutes to finally seal the deal in the 73rd with replacement prop Gus McCarthy’s decisive score from a rolling maul.
Ultimately, Ireland deserved their three-try win in Andy Farrell’s last match as coach before he takes a sabbatical to forge the Lions side who’ll travel to Australia for a three-match Test series next July and August.
But the Englishman reckoned he’d seen enough to know Schmidt’s Wallabies will be a handful.
And yet, it could have been so much more.
Schmidt was disappointed by a “conservative” streak emerging as his side clung on to a narrow lead after the break, and also by their failure to take advantage of a couple of searing breaks from inspirational captain Harry Wilson and rampaging prop Taniela Tupou before halftime.
“You can’t beat Ireland with a sledgehammer; you’ve got to get the scalpel out, and you’ve got to be accurate. A disappointment is that I felt we probably opened them up just enough times to get enough scoreboard separation,” shrugged Schmidt.
That’s the next big step for his developing Wallabies; to consistently get the job done in close finishes, as they did against England.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, recovered from his arm stinger, had a fourth promising outing of the tour, using some of his high-ball prowess and clever distribution to set up the attack which nearly put Andrew Kellaway in the right-hand corner and eventually resulted in Jorgensen’s try on the left edge after a swift, slick switch.
Lolesio slotted over all five kicks but indiscipline occasionally betrayed them again with the otherwise superb Rob Valetini’s illegal forearm tackle setting up the first concerted Irish pressure, ending with flanker van der Flier ploughing over four minutes after Jorgensen’s score.
Though 13-5 up at the break, the Wallabies had been fortunate that there’d been some slapdash handling from the Irish, including two dropped passes by the hosts’ Australian prop Finlay Bealham.
After two more Lolesio three-pointers gave Australia a narrow lead, Healy’s arrival for his Irish record-breaking moment provided the hosts with the extra surge of adrenaline after the 37-year-old had been given a hero’s welcome.
And though Kellaway held up one charge heroically on his own line, the dam eventually cracked for McCarthy’s pushover.
Still the Wallabies pressed forward, but their late substitution of Lolesio for debutant Tane Edmed came to nothing as the unfortunate replacement lasted just three minutes before banging his head and having to go off again for HIA.
Alas, a record-extending 19th debutant of the year lasted a shorter time than any of the previous 18.
