Superb Irish Lead At Half Time

Ireland lead 12-3 at half time in the permanent tsb international at Lansdowne Road this afternoon thanks to four penalties from the boot of Ronan O’Gara to one from Matt Burke.Ireland took the lead in the 13th minute when Ronan O’Gara landed a penalty from in front of the posts from 25 metres after a Victor Costello surge had been ended with a high tackle. Six minutes later, O’Gara made it six nil with a penalty from the right after the out-half and captain Brian O’Driscoll had combined to put the tourists under all sorts of pressure. Another O’Gara penalty flew over before Matt Burke opened the scoring for the Aussies but O’Gara struck again in the 38th minute to leave the Irish leading at the interval. It was a lead they thoroughly deserved.