Ireland clinch 3-match series with 20-16 win over Australia

Six Nations rugby champions Ireland capped an outstanding season with a contentious 20-16 win yesterday over Australia to clinch the three-test series 2-1.

A ground-record 44,085 fans at Sydney Football Stadium watched as Johnny Sexton kicked his fifth penalty goal of the evening to clinch the match with two minutes to go.

It was Ireland's first series win in Australia since 1979.

French referee Pascal Gauzere was at the center of a number of controversial decisions, including the decisive match-ending call.

Trailing by four points in the 80th minute after Tolu Latu was penalized for not releasing and Sexton added another penalty, the Wallabies — needing a try to win — regained the kick restart.

With space out wide, the Wallabies spread the ball to the right, but Bernard Foley's offload failed to find his target and went into touch.

But appeals for a deliberate knockdown by Ireland winger Jacob Stockdale saw Gauzere send the play to his video match official — Australian George Ayoub — who after several minutes deemed video footage inconclusive, and the match ended.

"Some things didn't go for us. You need a few things to go for you in a game," Australia coach Michael Cheika said. "It could have gone either way. It was pretty tight. It was an electric atmosphere."

Flanker C.J. Stander scored Ireland's only try in the 45th before winger Marika Koroibete replied with Australia's only five-pointer shortly after to cut the visitors' lead to a point and set up a close finish.

Both sides played most of the match without their captains after Michael Hooper sustained a hamstring injury in the 16th and Irish flanker Peter O'Mahony had a concussion in the 30th.