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By Tadhg Peavoy
Thanks for joining us today, we hope you enjoyed our coverage. Look out for team news and analysis all this week in the build up to next week's clash. See y'after.
While this was a mesmeric high octane finish, Ireland failed to deliver at scrumtime, with ball-in-hand and the line-out kept the team in the match for long periods. This rustiness needs to be ironed out in the Fiji match before a massive encounter with world champions South Africa.
STUDIO ANALYSIS: The RTÉ panel feel that Ireland's persistance must be appreciated. Popey says they were like Muhammed Ali's famous 'rope-a-dope', hitting late, but in this case too late.
FULL-TIME: David Pocock was huge today, Man of the Match for the Australian number 7. He looks like a challenger to Richie McCaw's crown as the best flanker in the world.
79 mins The scrum is reset. Australia are under the kosh now. From the scrum, Ireland use an 8, 9, 13 move and Brian O'Driscoll goes over between the posts! TRY: Ireland 18-20 Australia. CONVERSION: The last kick of the game is O'Gara's and he slots the shot. The whistle blows: it's all over here in Drumcondra. Ireland 20-20 Australia.
78 mins Denis Leamy is on for Ferris. From a scrum in the 22, the ball is spun wide with quick hands across the line. It reaches Bowe who, after a quick injection of pace makes it over the line, but no camera angle shows he touched it down. The TMO says it's inconclusive. Scrum five metres out.
77 mins A massive crossfield kick from O'Leary from the line-out, but it's a penalty back for Ireland. The crossfield kick to Earls didn't come off.
75 mins Maul from the lineout. The ball goes wide right to Earls, then moved back inside. A ruck sets up and then O'Gara feeds Paddy Wallace. He makes the mistake of passing to a heavily marked Jerry Flannery on the wing, Flannery is knocked into touch, but off an Aussie hand.
74 mins O'Gara feeds O'Driscoll in the 22, the ball is set up in a ruck and Australia concede a free-kick. O'Gara kicks it to touch in the 22.
72 mins O'Gara makes a half break, but thre is no way through. O'Connell picks up the mantle and Ireland win a scrum.
70 mins Rob Kearney kicks downfield and puts Irealand in the Aussie 22. Australia take the lineout and clear to touch. Line-out in the ten-metre area again. Irish ball. Bowe gets the ball in midfield and is nearly away but Pocock makes a crucial tackle.
69 mins Scrum to the Aussies in their own 22-metre area. Cooper clears to touch: he makes the ten-metre area.
67 mins Paul O'Connell claims the lineout ball. Flannery marshalls the ball at the base of the maul. 'Use it or lose it', the ref shouts. O'Leary breaks but is caught. Cian Healy makes a charge, but is swallowed up by Wallaby shirts. Oz clear out the ruck, but Ireland hold on to the ball. The ball goes wide to Bowe, but Kearney gives Bowe a forward pass with the line metres away!
66 mins Bowe gets the ball on the right wing and charges down the line. The ball is played back inside and across the line to Earls on the other wing. Australia kill the ball at the breakdown and O'Gara kicks long into the Aussie 22. Huge chance for Ireland.
64 mins Kearney intercepts a kick to touch and makes a break inside his own half, but Kearney throws it forward. Great chance to counter lost.
63 mins Australia's Giteau plays the ball to the Irish corner, Kearney returns, there's been some hugely aimless kicking from Ireland today. Kearney put the ball straight into touch.
61 mins Australia are in the Irish 22. Drive after drive. Pocock is everywhere for Australia. Keith Earls makes a great hit on Ioane. Australia recycle again and the ball is whipped wide to Rocky Elsom, who dives for the corner, it looks like a try. The TMO is consulted again. TRY: Ireland 13-18 Australia. Giteau steps up for the conversion and from wide on the touchline, he hits the ball with a severe curve and through the sticks. Ireland 13-20 Australia.
61 mins The ball is cleared to Kearney, who clears back to halfway.
59 mins From a Giteau kick to touch, O'Gara claims the ball with a foot in touch, so line-out back where the kick was taken.
The ball is spun wide to Fitzgerald who makses ten yards into the Aussie ten-metre line. Ball back to O'Gara who puts it straight into touch.
55 mins From the kick-off Healy gathers the ball and makes several yards. The ball is whipped to midfield where Kearney gathers and heads for the line, he is stopped short. Flanney and Bowe pick and go. Ferris drives with the pack behind him. Ireland are on the line. From the ruck, the ball is spun wide to Tommy Bowe, he make it over the line and it looks like a try for Ireland. TRY: The TMO agrees: Ireland 13-13 Australia. O'Gara converts to level the scores.
54 mins Penalty to Australia from the ruck and Giteau has another chance for three points. PENALTY: He gets this one and it's 6-13 to Australia.
54 mins REPLACEMENT: Firzgerald is down and in trouble. His game is over, looks like an ankle injury and he is replaced by Keith Earls on the wing.
53 mins The Ireland scrum is driven back again and they lose it. O'Connell turns it over for Ireland though; no advantage coming and it's a knock-on Australia and Ireland must re-gather themselves.
52 mins It's a very poor game and Ireland are in trouble. Australia are playing a lot better right now.
50 mins Scrum Ireland: O'Leary puts in and the scrum collapses. The ref lets them off, free-kick Ireland. Kearney gives a great kick downfield into Australia's 10-metre area. From the line-out Oz recycle and the ball is well setup. Palu knocks on in midfield though and Ireland have a chance to calm themselves.
49 mins Healy is hurt after that mammoth hit, but is okay to go on.
47 mins Australia have the ball in spades in midfield now, they use it in midfield. Adam Ashley-Cooper breaks the line and Oz setup again. Genia to Giteau, Oz keep on recycling in midfield. Healy smashes Ashley-Cooper into touch in the ten-metre area. Oz in control right now.
46 mins Kearney kicks deep for Ireland, too deep, over the Oz tryline and it's a 22-metre drop-out.
45 mins O'Gara goes long from the clearance. Adam Ashley-Cooper clears to touch. Australia win the lineout and drive into the Ireland half. Genia kicks to Fitzgerald who returns to Quade Cooper.
43 mins Ireland are penalised again at the breakdown. Heaslip tackled Pocock and the ref says he plays it on the ground, but he was clearly on his feet. PENALTY: Giteau steps up, he lines it up and puts it wide.
42 mins Genia throws a loose pass, but they regather. Cooper once more clears to Kearney. Rob Kearney runs this time and tries to loop around the outside. Tomas O'Leary puts the ball out on the full. Lin-out back in the Ireland ten-metre area for Australia.
41 mins Matt Giteau gets the second half underway for Australia. Jamie Heaslip gathers, ruck setup. O'Gara clears to touch inside the Australia ten-metre line.
HALF-TIME ANALYSIS: RTÉ feel that it wasn't a sin-binning at all for Palu and that ref Jonathan Kaplan is giving Ireland all the decisions. BBC think Ireand are very uncreative and have got the tactics slightly wrong, needing to keep the ball in hand more.
40 mins From the ensuing line-out in the Ireland ten-metre line, Ireland concede another penalty for coming in the side of the ruck. Giteau kicks to touch once more. Right on the Ireland try-line now. Moore takes the ball at the back of the maul. David Pockock gives a loose pass and Ireland intercept. HALF-TIME: Ireland 6-10 Australia. It's been a penalty-ridden affair here at GAA HQ, but Ireland are still in touch. They need more discipline in the second half and better hands, with less knock-ons.
38 mins O'Leary goes an a looping run from the scrum, but again the referee blows for holding on. This is the five or sixth penalty for Ireland of this type. Clearance from Giteau.
27 mins Scrappy line-out, knock-on from James Horwill for Australia. Ireland setup with advantage being played. Flannery and O'Connell lead from the front, a scrum is awarded to the Irish.
36 mins The ball is fed to Luke Fitzgerald on the Irish wing, he makes a break, but Australia play the ball on the ground at the breakdown. Peno Ireland, O'Gara kicks to touch, chance on for Ireland now.
34 mins Scrum Australia. Genia gets the ball to Giteau who clears to Kearney, Cooper calls for the return kick and Bowe claims a return kick. Ping pong again here: Drew Mitchell kicks to O'Leary. The ruck is set-up and Ireland clear. Mark claimed from Giteau in the Oz 22 metre line.
32 mins Ireland concede a penalty at the ensuing scrum from the knock-on. The ball is cleared to touch. Genia gets the ball from Stephen Moore, but he is swallowed alive. Kearney gets a clearance from Cooper. Kearney kicks clear, but in the ensuing scramble for possession, and Irish hand knocks on.
30 mins O'Gara kicks to touch. The line-out is thrown by Flannery, he misses O'Connell at the tail, but Wallace picks up the scraps. Australia now are penalised at the break down. Quick penalty from O'Gara and he kicks to sideline, where Tommy Bowe comes within inches of gathering and getting the try. Close shave.
29 mins: Scrum Aussies in their half, Giteau kicks to Kearney, who is smashed in the face by Palu, ouch! Surely a yellow card! SIN-BIN: Yes, Palu is in the bin. Terrible hit, but Kearney is okay.
27 mins Quade Cooper feeds Digby Ioane. Australia set up in front of the Irish posts outside the 22. Giteau makes a break and finds a whole in midfield, he is stopped a metre from the Irish line and Ireland get the ball for holding on. O'Gara takes quickly and Kearney kicks to touch.
26 mins Rocky Elsom gathers from the kick-off and runs 20 metres into the Irish 10-metre line. He passes to Cooper who kicks to touch. The line-out is set-up in a maul and Tomas O'Leary just makes a shot box-kick to the Ireland 22-metre line.
24 mins Ireland steal the line-out and pass out the line. Flannery takes on the ball and is taken down by Ben Alexander. Then the green pack comes in the side. Offside Ireland, penalty Oz. PENALTY: 6-10 to Australia as Giteau makes no mistake from the tee.
23 mins Giteau restarts, but too far. Jamie Heaslip passes to O'Gara in the Ireland 22-metre-line. Kearney clears to touch but just inside the ten-metre line.
22 mins PENALTY: O'Gara kicks with ease and it's a one point game 6-7.
21 mins O'Connell wins the line-out ball. Drive forward for Ireland, good maul. David Wallace drives and presents. Ireland win a penalty for Australia killing the ball. O'Gara has a kick in front of the sticks.
20 mins An Irish line-out goes the width of the backline and Fitzgerald chips ahead, Australia deal with it and Cooper clears to touch.
17 mins Fitzgerald breaks forward for Ireland, the ball is spun wide to Kearney who chips ahead, Cooper returns to Kearney. Ireland get the ball in hands and Paddy Wallace makes a charge on the left touchline. Ireland playing well now. Healy punches through midfield. Paddy Wallaces makes more ground, but holds on while on the deck. Penalty to Australia. Ireland have given two penos away from holding on, they need to hit the breakdown quicker and recycle with pace.
16 mins O'Gara restarts, we have some ping-pong between O'Gara, Rob Kearney and Adam Ashely-Cooper. Eventually the line is hit by O'Gara.
15 mins Giteau steps up to the tee for the peno, but he puts it wide. Lucky for Ireland.
14 mins Good Aussie line-out, the ball is fed to midfield, four phases of play for Australia, but Brian O'Driscoll is caught offside in the ruck, soft penalty for Ireland to concede.
12 mins David Pocock stands in at out-half and feeds Giteau on the burst, but he hits a green wall. Giteau kicks to the corner and it is inch perfect in the corner, dangerous position for Ireland here. Oz don't make the line as asked and Ireland are given a free-kick. O'Gara hits hit sweetly to the halfway line.
11 mins Paddy Wallace gets the ball from an Ireland line-out in midfield, Stephen Ferris holds on in the tackle and it's a peno for Australia. Giteau to touch.
9 mins Scrum to Australia, better from Ireland, with a little squeeze. But, the ref wants the scrum again. Wycliff Palu is hit by Jamie Heaslip at the base of the scrum. Genia gets the ball though and makes the clearing kick.
8 mins Good Oz scrum, Quade Cooper feads Giteau, who goes for a drop-goal which Cian Healy blocks down.
7 mins Australia attempt a maul-down the middle from which Matt Giteau kicks down the midfield. The ball is submerged in a ruck and Ireland get the put-in as they are going forward. But they lose a free-kick as John Hayes is penalised.
5 mins Ireland go straight back to the Wallabies and win a penalty for the Aussies not rolling away at the ruck. PENALTY: 3-7 now.
3 mins TRY: Disaster, as from the line-out, O'Gara's pass strecthes Brian O'Driscoll and he knocks-on, the ball falls to Dew Mitchell who runs in under the Irish posts. The conversion is popped over and its 0-7 Australia.
2 mins Will Genia kicks over the Ireland tryline, 22 drop out to Ireland. The ball hits Luke Fitzgerald and then an Aussie, so there is an Irish put-in.
1min Bad hands from Quade Cooper and into touch, line-out Ireland. O'Connell takes the line-out and a basic ruck is set up, but Australia turn it over.
3.02pm KICK-OFF: Ronan O'Gara kicks off into the Canal End to start Ireland's 2009/10 campaign.
3.02pm The stands are packed to the rafters for the second time this weekend, with green flags in most hands it seems.
3.00pm And, last but not least, Ireland's Call gets blasted out by the Garda Band.
2.59pm Amhrán na bhFiann rings out across the Drumcondra surrounds. Good atmosphere building now; the crowd seem well up for it.
2.58pm The Garda Band get the Aussie anthem underway. I've never seen so many 'taches on a rugby team before. The Wallabies look like a team of Tom Sellicks.
2.57pm At the moment there isn't a rain cloud in the sky, so we look all set for a dry, not too windy day for rugby.
2.56pm The Ireland team are led out by GOD/BOD/Drico/Brian O'Driscoll.
2.53pm Peter McKenna and the groundskeeping team at GAA HQ have completed a superb turnaround with the pitch markings here at Croke Park. The pitch looks sublime. They only had a 14-hour time period between last night's soccer international and today's Test match to make the changeover, they used a special easy-off paint to do it - so, now you know!
2.51pm Hooky makes a very good point in studio: if Jerry Flannery and John Hayes get injured we have a front row of Healy, Cronin, Court; a hugely inexperienced foundation against a vastly improved Wallaby front row. Let's hope for no injuries so.
2.46pm Former Leinster, Ulster and Scotland coach Matt Williams is touchline. Interestingly, he says that the ARU has extreme confidence in Australia's Kiwi coach Robbie Deans and they view his tenure as a long-term appointment.
2.37pm Also, just to let you know, the Rep of Ireland v France World Cup play-off is available on our catch-up service the RTÉ player: you'll be able to watch the game all this week, right here: http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1060087
2.35pm Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's alleged best buddy, Ryle Nugent, has entered the building.
2.30pm With a good half hour before kick-off and commercial break time on RTÉ, here is an old RTÉ apres match to fill the time. No offence to our BBC colleagues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kN15IZGeMg&feature=PlayList&p=E64EC4F593CAF88F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6
2.27pm Ireland's backs coach Alan Gaffney says his side are out to play running rugby and he believes the Wallabies aim to do the same. Game on!
2.19pm The crowds are beginning to filter out of Quinns pub and into the ground. A decent game would be much appreciated today, after a lacklustre day of Test rugby yesterday. Just for the record, Australia start this match as the third-ranked international side in the world, one place ahead of Ireland.
2.13pm If you have any opinion on today's clash, or indeed pics from the ground, or even better, stories of interesting things you have found in the gutter on the way home from Leeson Street nightclubs, then email in to sportonline@rte.ie.
2.09pm Popey has the match ball from the famous Ireland v Australia World Cup game in 1991. Apparently he found it in the gutter on the way home from Legs nightclub. I always thought Popey was fond of a good session!
2.05pm RTÉ's TV coverage has kicked-off in Croker. Brent Pope, George Hook and Conor O'Shea - or the Holy Trinity - are in attendance, as per usual. They are raving about Cian Healy the Leinster prop. By their esteemed opinions he's going to be a 'rugby superstar'.
1.03pm Good afternoon and welcome to our second live matchtracker from Croke Park this weekend, as Ireland take on Australia in the Guinness November Series. After last night’s harsh defeat, here’s hoping the other Boys in Green can redeem the weekend.
Kick-off at Croke Park is at three o’clock and the weather in the capital is dry, fresh and with a few rays of November sunshine trickling through the clouds.
Ireland Brian O’Driscoll will make his 100th appearance in a Test match at Croke Park today, while Leinster prop Cian Healy will make his debut in a green jersey.
O'Driscoll won his first cap for Ireland aged 20 on 12 June 1999 during a tour of Australia. Ireland were on the receiving end of a 46-10 drubbing in Brisbane that day, let's hope today is a little more clement for the Irish.
The Wallabies back-row of Rocky Elsom, Wycliff Palu and David Pocock will be a fearsome trio to contend with and are sure to present Ireland with a stiff examination across the park.
Ireland are at full strength for the tie bar missing prop Marcus Horan. The afternoon should give a good indication of the strength of Declan Kidney’s side for the season ahead.
The teams will line-up for today’s encounter as follows:
Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), P Wallace (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster); R O'Gara (Munster), T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), K Earls (Munster).
Australia: A Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies); P Hynes (Queensland Reds), D Ioane (Queensland Reds), Q Cooper (Queensland Reds), D Mitchell (NSW Waratahs); M Giteau (Brumbies), W Genia (Queensland Reds); B Robinson (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Brumbies), B Alexander (Brumbies), J Horwill (Queensland Reds), M Chisholm (Brumbies), R Elsom (Brumbies, capt), D Pocock (Western Force), W Palu (NSW Waratahs).
Replacements: T Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs), M Dunning (Western Force), D Mumm (NSW Waratahs), G Smith (Brumbies), L Burgess (NSW Waratahs), R Cross (Western Force), J O'Connor (Western Force).
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa).
