Both Ireland and the Wallabies enjoyed intricate attacking phases, and it felt like watching Schmidt and Farrell exchanging moves at the card table. After the defeat to Scotland the week before, it was clear that Schmidt had left some aces on his attacking deck up his sleeve for Dublin late in November.
A penalty from Lolosio helped the Wallabies end the half with an eight-point lead, belying the team’s expected fatigue after three games against England, Scotland and Wales and their short six-day turnaround.
The Aviva Stadium had been largely silenced by the Wallabies’ impressive first-half efforts, but the crowd found its voice with an early penalty and a converted try for Ireland captain Caelan Doris who crashed over to give the home side a two-point lead for the first time in the game, after the Wallabies were unable to keep absorbing sustained pressure .
Lolosio was exceptional off the kicking tee, responding with two valuable penalties to put the Wallabies back into the lead, helped by the incredible performance by breakaway McReight, who refused to be bullied at the breakdown and came up with the ball when his team needed him most.
The Wallabies embrace after the game in DublinCredit: AP
Entering the last ten minutes and defending a slim four-point lead, the Wallabies defended desperately, with Kellaway holding up the ball over the try line, but minutes later, after fullback Tom Wright took the ball over the line, Ireland’s rookie hooker Gus McCarthy scored from a rolling maul from an attacking lineout metres out from the line to cruelly put the game beyond reach.
Last Sunday against Scotland, the Wallabies had taken a slight step backwards after bounding forward with victories against England and Wales on the Spring tour. In Ireland, the momentum was well and truly restored.
The Wallabies’ in-tray of challenges in 2025 is significant, headlined by the arrival of the British and Irish Lions. The immediate priority is to secure the services of Schmidt until the 2027 World Cup, after this performance, the master coach may well have seen enough to keep going for another two years.
