Schmidt frustrated as Aussies halt run
Australian aggression proves decisive with Schmidt ready to put World Cup planning on hold in bid to rescue series
JOE SCHMIDT has lashed out at the officiating as Ireland’s 12-game winning streak was ended by a powerful Australia performance in Brisbane yesterday.
Although Ireland enjoyed a two-thirds majority of both possession and territory, they could only manage three penalties from Joey Carbery, while the Wallabies crossed for two tries from Bernard Foley and the inspirational David Pocock.
And, while Schmidt praised the Aussies for their performance, he questioned whether Ireland were hampered by some of the decisions made by South African referee Maruis van der Westhuizen and his officials.
‘We just expect to try to be able to play within the rules and do the best we can,’ said Schmidt. ‘They have some super athletes and took advantage of some opportunities that they had.’
After Ireland No8 CJ Stander made a clean break in the second half, he looked to have scored a try only for the referee and TMO to rule out the score on the basis of a lack of clear evidence of grounding.
The Ireland coach believes if the TMO had been asked ‘any reason not to award the try?’ rather ‘try or no try?’, the decision could have been different.
‘I think if they asked a second question, it looked to me like he would have got the benefit of the doubt,’ Schmidt told RTÉ.
‘But they couldn’t see a clear grounding because
IRELAND will need a marked improvement in Melbourne to save this series after they were bullied into submission by Michael Cheika’s fired-up Wallabies in Brisbane yesterday.
Joe Schmidt opted to rotate his side for this first Test to look at his World Cup options but, even with six changes to the team that landed the Grand Slam so impressively in the spring, Ireland went into the match as favourites against an Australian side placed two places below them at fourth in the world rankings.
However, even though the visitors enjoyed 60-40 domination of both possession and territory, they lacked penetration in attack and were consistently discomfited by the ferocity of the home defence and tenacity of flankers Michael Hooper and David Pocock on the ground.
Pocock was the hero on his return to the gold jersey as he capped a dominant breakdown performance with the winning try in a nine-point victory that was uproariously celebrated by a Wallabies side that had lost heavily to European opposition in England and Scotland during their last international outings in November.
It was a first defeat for Schmidt’s side since March 2017, ending the run of 12 successive wins, but the Ireland head coach can take some solace from the experience gained by the likes of Joey Carbery at outhalf and John Ryan at tighthead prop.
Munster-bound Carbery did not exert the type of dominance Ireland have come to expect from former Leinster teammate Johnny Sexton but did not look overawed despite being targeted by the ultra-physical Aussies and displayed his passing skills to good effect.
A missed penalty from a very kickable position will disappoint the 22-year-old but, given the lack of match time he has had in the 10 jersey this season, it was a decent outing for Carbery and something to build on – for the rest of this tour and when he lines out at Thomond Park next season.
Likewise Ryan, without doing anything extraordinary, showed he can handle himself at this level, with a solid scrummaging performance and some useful carries into Australian territory.
Indeed, it was the experience-laden replacements bench that fell short of pre-match expectations with Sexton missing a vital penalty kick to the corner and the front row reserves of Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong getting destroyed at a crucial scrum. When Sexton replaced Carbery with 57 minutes on the clock, his side were a point ahead but they lost their grip under Wallaby pressure at the end of an intense encounter. Bernard Foley and Carbery swapped early penalties after offside infringements from Bundee Aki and Hooper and Jacob Stockdale did well to deny the dangerous Marika Koroibeite the first try. Although Ireland had more possession, the home backline looked far more dangerous with ball in hand and they made that advantage pay as halftime approached. The chance came when Rob Kearney uncharacteristically misjudged a high ball and Pocock secured possession for his side.
With Ireland scrambling, Australia moved the ball wide and Foley’s swift hands freed Samu Kerevi down the left.
Again, Stockdale covered across but this time the men in gold recycled the ball for Will Genia to put Foley over in the corner.
The out-half missed the conversion and his side took a two-point lead in at half-time, the first time Ireland had been behind at that stage all season.
They almost got back in front within three minutes of the restart, but Dane Haylett-Petty somehow denied CJ Stander by holding him up after a big break.
Carbery missed a chance to put his side back in front after Australia survived a 19-phase defensive set, but he nailed a simpler effort on 55 minutes after Pocock was penalised for holding on.
That was his last act as Schmidt
sent Sexton into the arena.
Ireland had a major let-off when referee Marius van der Westhuizen disallowed Folau’s stunning try for an earlier infringement by Adam Coleman who hit James Ryan off the ball.
It was not a popular decision among the gold-clad supporters in the 46,273 crowd, but a neck roll by Ryan handed the advantage back to the home side.
Ireland’s first-choice props had come on early, but they gave up a penalty under pressure from Taniela Tupou and Foley put Australia back in front with 11 minutes remaining.
A superb Folau catch and a subsequent penalty concession from Stockdale might have resulted in a further penalty, but instead Genia tapped the penalty and he got the reward as Pocock capped a fantastic comeback after his hiatus to power over from close range.
Foley converted and, try as they might, Ireland could not muster a fightback, Kieran Marmion having a score ruled out in time added on for an earlier knockon. With the series on the line in Melbourne next weekend, Schmidt will be expected to make changes with the injury to Keith Earls that forced him off after 25 minutes to be monitored through the week.
Although the need to assess World Cup options remains paramount, the immediate requirement of staying alive in this series will take over now and Ireland have a significant challenge to wrest control back from an impressive Wallabies outfit that will grow in confidence on the back of this victory.
On the evidence of this performance, Ireland will need to