‘‘We’ve come a long way’: Growing Wallabies left ‘hurt’ after gutsy Ireland defeat’ was the headline over Nathan Williamson’s article on rugby.com.au website. The tone of the piece was upbeat, pointing to the huge physical commitment of the prematch underdogs in pushing the Ireland team to the pin of their fresh minted starched white retro collars in a 22-19 defeat.
He wrote: “The Wallabies end their Spring Tour with a 2-2 record but leave with a reputation and respect that supersedes that record ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour next year. Talks of a whitewash have been quelled in the Northern Hemisphere as the Australians showed remarkable growth 12 months from their group stages exit at the World Cup.”
The general feeling in the postgame writing in the Australia media was an understandable pride in the Wallabies’ performance but also a generosity in hailing Andy Farrell’s side as deserving winners, largely on foot of a 3-1 try count in favour of the home side.
Writing elsewhere on the same website under the ubiquitous moniker ‘Five Things we Learned from Ireland – Australia’, Lachlann Grey suggested that the Wallabies’ record of two wins and two defeats meant that there would be less gloom and doom when Australia host next summer’s British & Irish Lions tour around whether it would be competitive.
“Australia may have finished their Spring Tour with successive losses, but any concerns of a Lions walkover next year should be well and truly put to bed.
“The Wallabies went blow for blow with the Northern Hemisphere powerhouse – from whom the Lions coach and a significant portion of players will be drawn – and didn’t die wondering in their final clash of a massive 2024 that also yielded scalps over England and Wales.”
Ian Chadband in the Northwest Star also took a positive view. “Joe Schmidt’s emotional return to Dublin has fallen agonisingly flat as Ireland edged his Wallabies 22-19 in a scrappy but absorbing Test to provide a sobering end to what had begun as such a promising northern tour odyssey.
“Yet Schmidt wouldn’t be downhearted, insisting he was proud and predicting that despite the ledger reading two wins and two losses on tour, his team had made significant progress.”
Is Joe Schmidt the right man for Australia?
The Australian Associated Press ran with the heading ‘Wallabies end tour with agonising defeat to Ireland’, while the Sydney Morning Herald proclaimed, ‘Wallabies lose to Ireland in Dublin in brave performance that promises hope for Lions’.
In Brendan Fanning’s match report in the Guardian, syndicated to the Australian version of the website, he ventured: “At the finish it wasn’t readily apparent who was at the end of yet another enervating season and who was not even at the halfway point. It can get like that when the margins are tight, and the mind takes over.
“For Australia they were trying to get beyond break-even in their campaign, another brick in the defensive wall against the Lions next summer. Ireland were in similar statistical mode: two from four this month would not have been a good look. With the bean counters at their end-of-match positions, Ireland managed to avoid that.”
In The Australian newspaper Jamie Pandaram has an exclusive story about how Rugby Australia’s priority now is to tie down head coach Joe Schmidt to a long-term contract given how the New Zealander has managed to revive the Wallabies fortunes from a very low base.
On the match itself Pandaram was equally upbeat under the headline ‘Wallabies fire Lions warning in heartbreaking Dublin defeat’. He wrote: “A titanic defensive performance by the Wallabies fell just short of what would have been a famous win in Ireland, but it’s now clear that Joe Schmidt’s team will give the British and Irish Lions a thorough examination next year.”
Writing on the ABC News Australia website, Luke Pentony was one of the few to suggest that Ireland were lucky to win. “Ireland can consider itself fortunate to have escaped with a 22-19 win in Dublin, having been pushed by the brink by the Wallabies.
“The Wallabies were ahead 13-5 at half-time and despite relinquishing the lead for a period in the second term, they held a 19-15 advantage with seven minutes to play. Ireland is ranked ahead of every other nation bar world champion South Africa for a reason, so it wasn’t surprising the home side found enough in the tank to overhaul the Wallabies with a late converted try.”
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