TNT Sports
Australia edge past Irish
By
Published 01/11/2003 at 12:32 GMT
Champions Australia came through a stern World Cup examination to edge out Ireland 17-16 on Saturday and set up a quarter-final meeting with Scotland. Ireland were always chasing the game despite concerted pressure and will now face France after finishing
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Australia, never fully convincing, now meet Scotland in the quarter-finals in Brisbane on November 8. Ireland, who like their opponents had already qualified for the last eight but now face a tougher passage, will stay in Melbourne awaiting pool B winners France on November 9.
Wallaby centre Elton Flatley kicked three penalties, while flanker George Smith crossed for their only try. Captain George Gregan also dropped a goal.
Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll scored their only try and dropped a goal, while flyhalf Ronan O'Gara added eight points through a conversion and two penalties.
"We were very close to winning it," said Ireland captain Keith Wood. "But we have a quarter-final next week and we are not going to be too het up. Perhaps we'll get the chance of revenge later in the tournament."
His Australian countrepart Gregan responded: "We were happy to pull through. They put us under a lot of pressure. It was a pretty good effort but there's lots of areas to improve. We hung in there."
The match ebbed and flowed between both 22-metre areas as both sides engaged in some thrilling multi-phase rugby that enthralled the sell-out crowd at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.
Led by captain Keith Wood, the Irish threatened for long periods of the game to set up the quarter-final with Scotland, who only scraped into the playoffs with a last-gasp 22-20 victory over Fiji in Sydney earlier in the day.
However they were unable to break down the Wallabies defence in the final 20 minutes and committed mistakes at crucial times.
Australia beat Ireland by the same margin - 19-18 - in Dublin in 1991 before going on to win the tournamemt.
DROP-GOAL
Gregan opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he slotted a drop kick after referee Paddy O'Brien had awarded them a penalty but was playing the advantage.
Smith then scored the opening try three minutes later when Wendell Sailor made two bursts down the right wing, before they swung it back left and Smith cantered over unopposed.
Flatley missed the conversion before O'Gara got Ireland on the board with a 16th-minute penalty, but Flatley restored the eight-point lead with his first penalty three minutes later.
Ireland then seemed to halt Australia's momentum, courtesy of a strong lineout and scrum and a solid defence, and also began to attack with the ball in hand.
O'Gara slotted his second penalty in the 33rd minute and the Irish spent most of the rest of the half in Australia's territory, before Wallaby fullback Mat Rogers (professional foul) and Shane Horgan (dangerous play) were sin- binned in the final minute of the half.
Australia made one final attack in the half when Larkham ran unchallenged for 45 metres before he was brought down in a desperate cover tackle and penalised for holding on to the ball and the home side went in 11-6 up at the break.
SILLY MISTAKE
Australia continued their momentum from the end of the first half with a Flatley penalty in the 44th minute, but Larkham then made an error by taking a quick throw in to Joe Roff who was caught in possession inside his 22.
Ireland had a series of attacking scrums and then spun the ball from phase to phase before replacement wing John Kelly flicked on to O'Driscoll, who dived over in the corner.
O'Gara converted from the sideline to make it 14-13 with just under 30 minutes to play. Flatley slotted his third penalty just a minute later to give the Wallabies a 17-14 lead.
However, pushed on by O'Gara's tactical kicking, the Irish stormed back down field and after another series of multi-phase play, O'Driscoll slotted a 68th-minute drop goal.
The Irish continued to hammer away but were unable to breach the Wallabies' defence, who controlled possession for the final five minutes of the match.
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