It was quite an extraordinary display from an Irish side because the final scoreline did not reflect their dominance. They out-scored the Aussies three tries to one -and it might quite easily been 6-1 - and in the second half never allowed a side laced with players who have Super 12 experience, into the Irish half.
The real damage was done with a two-try salvo in the second quarter started when Glen Telford scored to give Ireland an 8-6 lead in the 26th minute.
Two minutes later, the superb Jamie Heaslip set off from the Irish 10 metre line and threw a pass for Richard Lane to coast in from 30 metres.
The Aussies clawed their way back and levelled with a converted try in the 32nd minute but penalties from outphalf, Gareth Steenson either side of half time, effectivbely sealed the outcome.
Twice in the second half the Irish drove over the Aussie line from line-outs but the referee was unsure about the grounding. However, in the 70th minute they were finally rewarded when Denis Fogarty was driven over and Steenson added the points.
Ireland: A Finn (Dolphin); R Lane (UCC), J Hearty (Blackrock), G Telford (Dungannon), P McKenzie (Loughborough University); G Steenson (QUB), T O'Leary (Cork Con); J Wickham (Clontarf), D Fogarty (Cork Con), D Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins); D Gannon (Blackrock, capt), S O'Connor (Cork Con); B O'Connor (Cork Con), J Heaslip (Dublin University), D O'Brien (Old Belvedere). Replacements: O Hennessy (Dungannon) for Heaslip (11 to 16 mins).
Australia:D Mitchell (capt); C Shepherd, J Graham, C Siale, H Veratu; D Halangahu, J Valentine; H Hunt, S Moore, R Blake; S Hockings, A Kanaar; R Brown, M Chapman, L Tomiki. Replacements: L Burgess for Valentine (12-17) mins; J Fuimaoano for Kanaar (12 to 16 mins); G Holmes for Hunt (half-time); A Ashley Cooper for Graham (45 mins); C Lyons for Halangahu (48 mins); T Egan for Kanaar (51 mins); Burgess for Valentine (68 mins); Fuimaoano for Brown (61 mins); L Holmes for Moore (71 mins).
Referee: B Lawrence (New Zealand).
