Ireland win secures an Oz series success

AUSTRALIA 16 IRELAND 20

Ireland signed off from their Grand Slam season with one last high as they yesterday edged a tense decider in Sydney to claim a first series win in Australia since 1979.

A record 44,085 crowd packed into Allianz Stadium for its final Test match, but there was no fond farewell for the Wallabies, who could not make their late pressure pay as Ireland hung on desperately at the end of a long campaign.

They have had more impressive wins in 2017/18, but this one was all guts as they tackled their hearts out, struck through a CJ Stander maul try and clung on for dear life.

The Six Nations Grand Slam champions needed the boot of Johnny Sexton to steer them through a scrappy but compelling contest.

Stander’s try was cancelled out by an excellent score by Marika Koroibete.

The Wallabies scented a win, but the Irish defence held firm before Sexton kicked a late insurance penalty.

The tourists found themselves under relentless pressure as Australia sought to harness the momentum of Koroibete’s try.

There was still time after Sexton’s fifth and final penalty for the home side to stage one final, desperate attack, but Bernard Foley’s wayward pass missed its target and rolled out of play just as the clock turned red.

Referee Pascal Gauzere and his television match official Ben Skeen were central figures until the death, reviewing the last play several times before deciding that Jacob Stockdale was not guilty of deflecting Bernard Foley’s pass before it flew into touch.

At the end of three absorbing games, it was a cliffhanger finish.