by Brendan Cole
Radio: Listen live (Ireland only)
RTÉ Rugby: Facebook
Twitter: #rterugby
E-mail: RWC@rte.ie
1205 Much more reaction and analysis to come across RTÉ.ie/sport.
1200 Did any analyst predict this? We have to give a huge shoutout to Kurt McQuilkin. His Pool Preview for RTÉ.ie:
"In short, linespeed/physicality is king. It is shaping up as a show stopper and my prediction is for a boil over Ireland to win it."
THE DRAW: This changes everything. If Ireland can beat Italy in the final match, Ireland are likely to face Wales or Samoa in the quarter-final and could play England or France after that in a semi-final.
Australia will probably have to beat South Africa or New Zealand to make it to the final.
INTERVIEW - Paul O'Connell: "This is the level we can play at and should be playing at consistently. Anything is achieveable. We just have to make sure we put in that big performance in every game and anything can happen."
INTERVIEW: Ronan O'Gara: "I have been thinking of this for two years. It means a lot to me, it is a great day to be Irish. Let tonight be the starting point and not the finishing point."
On the attack:
OFFICIAL MAN OF THE MATCH: Cian Healy
Full-time stats:
Ball possession: Australia 49%; Ireland 51%.
Territory: Australia 54%; Ireland 46%.
Time in opposition 22: Australia 10m34s; Ireland 5m23s.
Tries: 0 all
Conversions: 0 all.
Penalties: Australia 2 scored 2 missed; Ireland 4 scored, 3 missed.
Drop goals: Australia 0; Ireland 1.
Scrums: Australia 8 won, lost 1; Ireland 12 won.
Lineouts: Australia won 9, lost 2; Ireland won five, lost 2.
Turnovers won: Australia 3; Ireland 6.
Tackles: Australia 84, 10 missed; Ireland 78, 9 missed.
Clean line breaks: Australia 0; Ireland 0.
Handling errors: Australia 9; Ireland 6.
Penalties conceded: Australia 12; Ireland 8.
ANALYSIS:
George Hook: A victory that proves the setpiece is still vital. Australia are more skilfull but Ireland had courage, character and commitment and get 10 out of 10 on those measures.
Brent Pope: Hats off to Ireland. Australia panicked and showed they are a young inexperienced side.
Interview: Brian O'Driscoll: It is the performance we knew we had in us. You'd swear you were in Dublin (commenting on the support). Half the job done - two wins, two more to get.
FULL-TIME: AUSTRALIA 6-15 IRELAND
80 mins Australia attack up to halfway, but Healy ends the attack with another turnover. Ireland win!
Brian O'Driscoll taps it into touch. The players shake hands.
Incredible win against the Tri-Nations Champions and the team many fancied to win this RWC!!!!!!!!!
79 mins And then Murray pick off an Aussie pass and races over the line but it is brought back - not sure why.
Aussie penalty, 30 seconds left and they run it, but it is turned over out on the right! Ireland attack again, but O'Connell knocks it forward. Scrum Australia, but they are playing for the BP now.
77 mins The first scrum hits the deck - time ebbing away. And then a penalty is given as Court goes down again. They tap and go and move it left but Tommy Bowe picks off a fantastic intercept and races 95m before James O'Connor catches him and tackles him to touch!
What a run, he just came up short! Lineout Australia on their own line.
76 mins And Genia is almost over the line, a fabulous tackle on Genia as he broke towards the line from the base of that scrum. A couple of hits at the line are stopped and Lawrence gives scrum 5 to the Aussies.
But with 3 and a half minutes left, is there time for Australia? Tom Court - Australian born, Mayo roots - is on for Ross, who has been treated for an injury.
75 mins And Australia win the turnover - a little bit messy at the base of the scrum, Murray picked it up and was hit. Scrum to Australia.
74 mins Ireland win the scrum and put up a high kick on Cooper but he takes it under pressure and Genia has a snipe of that ruck.
And a lovely step and feed from Cooper releases Ashley-Cooper down the right. But a big hit from Ferris stops the momentum. But they pass it deep and wide again but a pass attempt to Pat McCabe flies into touch and Ireland will get a scrum as that was forward. Faingaa - terrible pass.
Trimble is in for Kearney.
Last ten minutes:
Possession: Australia: 44%; Ireland 56%.
Territory: Australia 53%; Ireland 47%.
72 mins O'Brien takes the kick off and charges back and Healy then picks and go before it is kick long.
Cooper runs back and feeds Ashley-Cooper, who is hit by O'Driscoll. Cooper has another cut, but the next attack sees the Aussies knock it forward, Beale trying to drop it on his toe but failing to do so.
Scrum Ireland near halfway. Elsom is off now for late replacement Wycliff Palu.
69 mins PENALTY (O'Gara) Australia 6-15 Ireland
And ROG gets it, out to a nine point gap!
68 mins HUGE scrum. Kepu goes down the first time but Lawrence gives the reset. And Ireland win the penalty! Huge scrum again, and the Australians words are unprintable. Healy put massive pressure on Slipper and he buckled.
O'Gara will have an easy shot.
67 mins Ireland win off the top ball through O’Connell. Big carries in the middle from O’Brien and Best and then Sexton launches a high kick and with O'Driscoll and Beale both missing, it squirts about the Aussie 22 before Kearney dives on it!
Ireland ball, here comes the support and 10m out and Ross gets it and charges at the Australia line!
But the attack ends after a carry by O'Connell and a knock on by Healy. Scrum Australia 5m from their own line.
65 mins An Australia attack out wide straight away, Ashley-Cooper is hauled down. And Genia then gets through the ruck area, but Lawrence has decided to give a marginal offside call. Really lucky there.
ROG kicks up inside their half.
63 mins Cooper kicks the restart to touch in the Irish half.
Ireland win it and off the top through Heaslip, move it to O'Brien. He smashes through one tackle and sets it up. Moved to O'Gara, and he puts up a high kick but it goes straight into touch.
Lineout Australia inside the Irish 10m line. Six is an awful lead.
Penalties conceded: Australia 9, Ireland 5.
Scrum penalties: Australia 4, Ireland 1.
62 mins PENALTY (O'Gara) Aus 6-12 Ire
Fantastic kick from O'Gara - Ireland go ahead.
60 mins Conor Murray is also on - to play with ROG at 10, and they will have trained together all week. And the is reset and then a penalty is given to Ireland! Ross won that one, superb.
O'Gara....steps up to take the kick.
Donal Lenihan: "We need to get O’Driscoll back on the pitch as quickly as possible. His defence this second half has been immense and his marshalling of the backline.
"Rory Best has been superb tonight in everything he does. His scrummaging, his lineouts, everything."
58 mins Ireland kick on top of Cooper from that lineout and is hit hard by O'Driscoll - who has to go off with a cut over his eye. And the Aussie hooker then knocks forward to give a scrum to Ireland, inside their 10m line - superb result for Ireland.
Trimble is in for Ireland, with O'Driscoll getting treated. Keith Earls is at centre.
57 mins Ireland scrum on their own line. It is solid and Ireland slowly inch forward before Heaslip picks and goes. And Ireland spin it out across their own line to Bowe! Dangerous play from them but Bowe is just released by Kearney and races forward before chipping and it hits off Beale and bounces back off Kearney and into an Aussie player's hands and he is shoved to touch.
FRANTIC. Ireland lineout on half-way.
56 mins The Aussies win the lineout and go to some grinding play close in before releasing the backs. Ashley-Cooper on the switch is hit hard by O'Driscoll but they still have and make 10m quickly up the middle.
Cooper then slips around O'Connell - half around - and tries a flip offload out the back of the hand but it goes just forward. The Aussies were just about 8m from the Irish line.
Australia go through nine phases in their last attack before the forward pass.
That official lineout stat has been changed:
Ireland 3-8 Australia
K McQuilkin; “What a piece of defensive work from Cian Healy to snuff out that Aussie attack. I’d say Quade Cooper’s teeth are still rattling."
52 mins And the scrum yields another penalty! The atmosphere is quite incredible, Sexton will have a shot from 20m to the left of the sticks and about 30m out.
And it hits the post and bounces just in front of Brian O'Driscoll but over his head! Cooper then tries to counter-attack and he is smashed by Cian Healy just as he passes and Ireland have it! But they are penalised in midfield after a hesitant carry by Heaslip.
Australia punt up beyond the Irish 10m line.
51 mins The dropout sequence ends with a lovely kick to touch by O'Gara, standing out on the left wing and a crooked in throw gives Ireland the ball inside the Aussie half.
All happening, Sexton is at 12 with ROG at 10.
50 mins PENALTY Sexton (Australia 6-9 Ireland)
Sexton gets it and punches the air. And D'Arcy is off with O'Gara in for him. A brand new lineup.
K McQuillkin: “I’m really impressed with O’Brien and Ferris. They’re really showing the New Zealand public they are better than your average kitchen applicances. Heaslip is chasing the game, but I’m sure if he relaxes and finds his old form he’ll be fine.”
48 mins Ireland win good lineout ball and Sexton then launches O'Brien in midfield. Superb carry and another sharp ruck is won and then Horwill gives away a penalty for coming in at the side.
47 mins Ireland get a penalty there and kick into the Aussie half.
46 mins The Australians win that lineout off the top and Cooper then kicks a bouncing ball into touch 15m inside the Irish half.
D'Arcy is getting treatment to his hamstring, and Best is also being looked at. O'Driscoll is giving a serious talking to to Jonathan Sexton.
IRFU on Twitter: Pause for breath. Lozenge for the throat. Incredible atmosphere in O2 and Eden Park. Come on Ireland. #rwc2011
Kurt McQuilkin: “Clear example of how dangerous Beale and O’Connor are in broken play. You really have to sort your defence lines and give them no space. Beale is looking to take on players and looking for mismatches. If he sees one, he’s going to take you on at the inside side.”
McQuilkin: “Great play from Ireland. Hitting space, pop passes. Excellent stuff.
45 mins Scrum is won and Sexton kicks long to Cooper. He tries a chip but Ferris gets that and sets it up, and O'Brien makes a super break. And Sexton then kicks for Bowe to chase and the ball just trickles into touch.
But Ireland go to sleep and allow a quick lineout and it is kicked long into the Irish 22. Kearney gathers and returns a superb kick to the Aussie 10m line but Ireland gave up 25m there.
43 mins The Aussie scrum is much improved and they wheel Ireland before the scrum goes down. Ireland will get it again.
Half-time stats:
Ball possession:
Australia 44%; Ireland 56%.
Territory:
Australia 56%; Ireland 44%.
Time in opposition 22:
Austrlia 3m03s; Ireland 1m13s.
Tries: 0 all
Conversions: 0 all.
Penalties:
Australia 2 scored 2 missed; Ireland 1 scored, 2 missed.
Drop goals:
Australia 0; Ireland 1.
Tackles:
Australia 46, 7 missed; Ireland 31, 3 missed.
42 mins Cooper chips for his centres but Bowe sweeps and a great defensive ruck is won. Sexton drops Reddan's pass but Ireland just recover it and Ross carries and sets it up. The ball is kicked long then, and Cooper passes to Beale who counters.
He gets through a gap, feeds Ashley-Cooper, who is just caught. He passes inside but just misses the supporting Quade Cooper and Ireland again scramble to control the ball. They get a scrum call in the end - in their own 22.
40 mins The teams exchange kicks from the long drop-out and in the end, Beale is wrapped up and held up. But this time, the Aussies get the scrum as he had just caught the kick - and that's the rule.
Scrum Aussie in their own half.
1028 Teams are back on the field.
Paddy Booth: Much much better from Ireland O'Connell leading the charge! #rterugby
Dec Kavanagh: Ireland have turned up today. Great start lads.
Aaron Nolan: Nice to see James o Connor was given time of the One Direction tour to play for Australia today! #rterugby.
Robert Nolan: More irish than aussies in the stadium, lads have no reason not to perform! #rterugby.
Half-Time Analysis:
Brent Pope: Change in the point of attack has been key by offloading and moving the ball with short passes has been key. If Ireland can win, they get on the good side of the draw (Wales or Samoa).
Frankie Sheahan: Holding up the tackler is something Les Kiss has brought. The 'choke' tackle because a maul is called by the referee and it is giving Ireland a psychological lift. It has not always gone well but it is working well this time.
George Hook: Hook is worried that O'Driscoll is not right, and a replay of a missed tackle, which shows O'Driscoll giving the turnstile to an Aussie carrier, is reason for worry. He may be playing on 'one wing' (arm).
40 mins Ireland move the ball deep to from Heaslip to Ferris and deep to Earls, but the Aussie defence comes up hard and catches him behind the gainline. And Ferris gets it next but he knocks it on attempting to slide past Aussie number eight Radike Samo.
Half-time - Analysis to come.
HALF-TIME: AUSTRALIA 6-6 IRELAND
38 mins The scrum is solid from the Aussies initially but it is then wheeled brilliantly. And Genia is surrounded by the Irish back-row. Ferris picks him and drives him back 10 yards, and Ireland then get given the scrum call!
Superb from Ferris, scrum Ireland on the Aussie 22m line. 40 seconds left.
It is 6-6 in the lineout battle, with one not straight call against each.
37 mins Another fantastic scrum from Ireland, penalty Ireland. Sexton kicks up to near the Aussie 22 but this Ireland deliver the crooked in. Australia ball in their own half and it looks like they will take a scrum.
From RTE Radio:
Kurt McQuilkin: "Great scrum; excellent scrum. They really had them under pressure."
Michael Corcorcan: "Ridiculous decision there from Bryce Lawrence. It was James Horwill [who knocked on] not Reddan. The ball was deliberately knocked on by Horwill."
36 mins The Aussies chase a short drop out and knock it on, scrum Ireland. The Aussies get pressure on and Ireland can't get anything going on the attack. Reddan then knocks it forward after being obstructed by the ref and an Aussie. Irish players are very upset but it is a scrum to the Aussies and they kick long to Kearney.
He slices his clearance effort - short kick and Aussies have a lineout inside the Irish half.
Crooked in tough, and it is an Ireland scrum on their 10m line.
33 mins And the scrum yields a penalty on the 10m line - Aussies go straight down. But Sexton misses the kick again - another strike that went to the right.
Kurt McQuilkin (RTE Radio): "I think Quade Cooper heard the footsteps coming and didn’t want to be there and knocked on. Good pressure from Ireland there."
Emerald Rugby on Twitter: "Stupid bloody penalties by Heaslip & O'Brien."
Donal Lenihan: "The Heaslips, D’Arcy’s and Driscolls need to have big games."
29 mins The first scrum drops to the floor but the second one sees Ireland get a lovely wheel to the right and Reddan feeds Kearney, who is tackled. The ball is then moved to Sexton who puts a high ball on Quade Cooper, who is hiding out on the wing.
Cooper misses the catch - scrum Ireland on the Australia 10m line.
The 'choke' tactic did not work last week, but Lawrence certainly seems open to giving the call. He is calling maul fairly quickly.
QantasWallabies (official) on Twitter: great scrummaging by both teams.
27 mins The dropout goes long and Australia charge it back but the 'choke' high tackle works again - a maul is called, the ball stays in, and Ireland get the scrum.
That's three. Scrum just inside their own 10m line.
26 mins O'Connor's kick slides across the face and just wide. Big letoff.
Just 63 of the first 100 penalties have been scored at this RWC.
25 mins The drop out bounces but is tidied up then and the Aussies attack down their left. Beale and Cooper both make good breaks and Heaslip gives up a penalty for interfering with ruck ball as Genia went to get it.
O'Connor will have a shot from the Ireland 10m line.
23 mins PENALTY: O'Connor Australia 6-6 Ireland
Ireland had 13 phases before their drop goal.
Donal Lenihan: “The scrum since the arrival of Mike Ross has improved enormously. The key today is to get a good hit and get the ball away quickly.”
Donal Lenihan: “Ireland’s defence has been excellent close in. But, when Australia had the overlap out wide, Earls was standing off. You can’t give these guys space to operate like that.”
22 mins The Aussies win the lineout and a little break by Beale wins them yards. O'Brien is called for a ruck offense then and the Aussies have penalty advantage.
Play goes on for a phase or two but a superb tackle by Keith Earls in off his wing ends the attack - back for the kick at goal.
21 mins And Ireland scrum solid for Reddan to kick clear up to near half-way.
20 mins And Ireland get another turnover via the high 'choke' tackle. The Aussies won the lineout and Genia fed a forward but the carrier was wrapped up immediately and Lawrence gave the call Ireland's way.
19 mins O'Brien takes the kick-off and charges back. It is moved right to Sexton after a Healy carry and Sexton dummies and tries to run. Ireland keep the ball safe and kick long to Beale, who hits a return high ball. It is too long and Kearney takes but is tackled.
And a knock on by Ireland gives Beale the ball, but Ireland recover it and advantage is called over by Lawrence. O'Driscoll kicks to touch from the base of the ruck. An escape.
16 mins Tommy Bowe takes the short drop out and runs forward with it. The Irish attack fluently, O'Connell, Best and Kearney linking up with short passes.
Earls then gets a go and he beats a couple - up into the Aussie 22 now. The attack is slowed in the Australian 22 and Ireland go to pick and go. The ball is slowed down illegally, Reddan shifts it to Sexton and he slams over a drop goal!
DROP GOAL: Sexton Australia 3-6 Ireland
15 mins PENALTY Australia 3-3 Ireland
Sexton drives a hard low shot over the sticks - a bit of a pull but it went over.
14 mins Sexton takes the long drop out and sends a kick soaring high. Kearney chases it and gets one back over Beale, taking a brilliant catch and Ireland attack in the Aussie 22.
Best feeds O'Driscoll with a lovely offload and O'Brien then carries it forward - 15m short. With penalty advantage, Sexton tries a chip forward which Genia gathers.
But Sexton will have another shot from just to the right of the sticks as he looks at ti.
"Ole Ole Ole" rings out.
13 mins It misses just to the left - about a yard. He seemed to take a long time behind the ball before starting his runup.
22m dropout Australia.
12 mins The Aussies run the kick back, moving it wide to Beale. But Paul O'Connell hits James Horwill and Cian Healy gets over the ball and forces a penalty for holding on.
Johnny Sexton will have a shot from the 10m line and a fairly central position. How will he get on with this ball?
11 mins PENALTY: Australia 3-0 Ireland (O'Connor pen)
Donal Lenihan: “You have to attack the ball in the air and Rob Kearney didn’t do that, he waited for it to come to him and Kurtley Beale took advantage.
John Twohig: New day same old Ireland, execution is shocking and the handling is brutal #rterugby
Vincent Byrne: Am glad Hookie took his happy pills this morning! #rterugby.
9 mins The first scrum sees the rows pop up but the Aussies get a penalty the next time - Healy releasing his bind on the loosehead side against Alexander.
Dead in front, penalty for O'Connor.
8 mins And O'Connor misses it from a fairly easy spot. 22m dropout for Ireland. He up and unders and takes a superb catch over Kearney. Australia get on the attack and some pick and go sees them reach all the way to the Ireland line.
Tackles from O'Connell and Healy save Ireland on their line, and Lawrence decides a penalty advantage awarded earlier has ended and gives a scrum to the Aussies.
Up to date teams there now at start of tracker.
6 mins And Cooper gets the feed from the scrum - as Ireland got a small shove. He looks to have been caught but slips free and looks to link with Beale but is caught from behind by D'Arcy and knocks on.
The ball ran forward to Beale and Kearney caught him round the neck to give up a penalty to the Aussies. No yellow card - partly because the ball had actually gone forward before Beale got him.
O'Connor will have a shot.
5 mins Elsom gets up alongside Paul O'Connell at the lineout and does enough to force a knockout. Scrum to Australia in a good position in the Irish half. Huge for Ireland - they must get an edge.
4 mins D'Arcy catches it over his head and sets up. But O'Driscoll drops a feed from Reddan and the next move to the right sees Sexton's pass hit the deck. O'Brien does his best with it but lose the ball to a strong counter-ruck. Genia gets it and kicks to touch in the Ireland half.
3 mins Ireland disrupt this lineout and the ball bounces over the back and Donncha O'Callaghan hacks it forward - he should have jumped on it! - The ball goes into the Aussie dead ball area. 22m dropout.
2 mins Ireland's trademark choke tackle does the job - Aussies ran the ball up the middle and the carrier was wrapped up by Sean O'Brien. Ref gave a scrum and then he upgrades to a penalty for lip.
O'Brien shoves a few Aussies.
And Ireland run it! Sexton passes wide towards Bowe, and he chips along the line. Lineout Australia in their own half.
1 min Cooper kicks off long and Keith Earls make an error, catching and placing his foot in touch to give the ball to Australia. Lineout to them on the 22m line.
0930 Remarkable reaction to the anthem from the Irish support says Donal Lenihan - kick-off now.
0929 Ireland now. O'Driscoll and O'Connell are alongside eachother in the line. Sean O'Brien looks primed for something special, and Eoin Reddan has his very serious face on, along with a few others.
And that's it - minute from kick-off.
Australia v Ireland
Australia: Beale, O'Connor, A. Faingaa, McCabe, Ashley-Cooper,
Cooper, Genia, Kepu, POLOTA-NAU, Alexander, Vickerman, Horwill,
Elsom, Pocock, Samo.
Replacements: Polota-Nau, Slipper, Simmons, McCalman,
Higginbotham, Burgess, Mitchell.
Ireland: Kearney, Bowe, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Earls, Sexton,
Reddan, Healy, Best, Ross, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Ferris,
O'Brien, Heaslip.
Replacements: Cronin, Court, Ryan, Leamy, Murray, O'Gara,
Trimble.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
0927 Anthems time - Australia first. A ringing version of "Advance Australia Fair", and there seems to plenty of Aussie support in the crowd.
0925 The teams are on the pitch.
Tatafu Polota-Nau:
Ben McCalmon (Australia openside):
0920 Ireland v Australia stats:
Ireland have played Australia 29 times. Ireland have won 8, drawn 1 and lost 20.
Those Ireland wins are:
Jan 1958, Lansdowne Road: Ireland 9-6 Australia.
Jan 1967, Lansdowne Road: Ireland 15-8 Australia.
May 1967, Cricket Ground, Sydney: Australia 5-11 Ireland.
Oct 1968, Lansdowne Road: Ireland 10-3 Australia.
June 1979, Ballymore, Brisbane: Australia 12-27 Ireland.
June 1979, Cricket Ground, Sydney: Australia 3-9 Ireland.
Nov 2002, Lansdowne Road: Ireland 18-9 Australia.
Nov 2006, Landowne Road: Ireland 21-6 Australia.
Ireland and Australia drew 20-20 at Lansdowne Road in November 2009.
Ireland's win on 13 May 1967 was the first time a Northern Hemisphere side won a Test match in the Southern Hemisphere. Watch this video piece on that famous win.
Ireland have twice lost Austalia by just one point - in 2003 and 1991. Both games came in Rugby World Cups. The 1991 game was a quarter-final. The 2003 game was a pool match.
Watch Brian O’Driscoll’s try and drop goal from the 2003 encounter here.
Ireland's best try scoring performance against Australia was in 1999, when they scored three tries, but lost 32-26 at the Subiaco Oval, Perth.
For comparison, Ireland’s winning record against the four World Cup-winning teams is: England – 37%; Australia – 28%; South Africa - 25%; New Zealand - 0%.
0915 Donal Lenihan (RTÉ Analyst): If there is one player the Irish would like to have seen come out of the Aussie team, it is David Pocock. Pyschologically, Australia have never created the same issues in the head as the Austrlians. A big performance is expected.
Declan Kidney (Ireland coach): We have been waiting a long time for this. You look forward to these matches. The injuries do not matter - Ireland have a few players gone as well like David Wallace and Felix Jones. He wants Ireland to go out and do everyone proud.
Jim Williams (Australia assistant coach): Injuries will not change our approach. Ireland have far too good a coach and quality of player to write them off. Big contest expected.
0905 Stephen Moore is also out of the Australian lineup - late replacement. More on that in a minute.
TV show is live now -
Brent Pope: The number seven is key because he dictates the breakdown and for many, Pocock is the best seven in the world. It is not a great Australia pack.
Frankie Sheahan: There has an arrogance about Australia now but there is no reason Ireland should be intimidated by the Aussie pack. Great point from Frankie - seven of this Australia team faced Munster when they were beaten in Limerick.
George Hook: Of course it makes a difference, but we have to remember Ireland have no number seven. Ireland have a chance.
0850 And that's that - South Africa win but they could not break the 50 mark as Fiji defended desperately at the end. SA 49-3 Fiji.
The second very loose game of the morning with the Boks taking Fiji on at their own game and winning.
0845 Another try for the Boks - they go 3-49 ahead with Danie Roussow getting ove for another try. Fiji have only managed a single penalty.
0835 Argentina have already registered a big win over Romania this morning - winning 43-8. The Pumas confounded expectations by running every ball against a Romania team that expected a battle up front. They will play Scotland with second spot in the pool effectively at stake next week. The winner of that is likely to face.....New Zealand in the quarter.
South Africa are just about to complete an easy win over Fiji - the Boks are 42-3 up with minutes left.
0830 Just an hour to go until kick-off, this morning's big news is that David Pocock has been ruled out of the Australia team.
The news was greeted with glee on the RTÉ Rugby Facebook page last night and fans on twitter were also delighted.
RTÉ Radio commentator Michael Corcoran told us on twitter that replacement Ben McCalman had trained at seven for most of the week - but he has never played openside at international level before and is usually a number six or eight.
