WIZARDS OF OZ
Ireland pushed to limit but conjure win on Australian soil to set up series decider
JOE SCHMIDT admitted that fatigue was a concern for Ireland after they recorded a first win on Australian soil since 1979.
Having rested a number of frontline players in Brisbane last week, the Ireland head coach selected an almost full-strength side for yesterday’s second Test, with the visitors recording a thrilling 26-21 win in Melbourne.
However, Ireland would surely have won by more if not for a string of fatigue issues hitting them in the closing stages, a problem that Schmidt is hoping won’t repeat itself during
Saturday’s deciding Test in Sydney.
Australia managed to make it a five-point game in a tense closing period as Ireland players including the hugely influential Johnny Sexton began to suffer from cramp. The Australian tour bookmarks the end of another long and demanding season for the majority of the Ireland squad, while the Wallabies are playing together for the first time since November.
‘We were just hanging on at the end,’ said Schmidt (right). ‘Joey Carbery came on to replace Devin Toner – I don’t think I’ve seen that before and I’m hoping I don’t see it again – Dev was cramping up pretty badly and we knew we had to defend the last six or seven minutes.
‘Joey did well coming on, we’re just going to have to glue everyone back together and see how we shape up next week.’
Schmidt also singled out captain Peter O’Mahony for special praise after the backrow outshone Australia’s masterpoacher David Pocock at the breakdown.
‘I thought we pinched a few of their balls. Peter O’Mahony led from the front and was superb.
‘I thought we didn’t let them get too many of ours: a couple of times – Michael Hooper is good at faking the poach and bouncing out – then Garry Ringrose came off his feet trying to get to Michael Hooper.
‘David Pocock got one or two, but apart from that we were very good at the breakdown.’
O’Mahony felt it was one of Ireland’s
strongest displays this season, admitting that winning the breakdown battle was key.
‘It’s the hub of the game in rugby [the breakdown],’ he said.
‘We saw the damage they did last week and we knew that if we were to give ourselves a shot today we had to be good there and we were to be fair. ’