Match Reaction: Ireland 14 Australia 30

Ireland’s Matt McCullough competes with Wallaby lock Mark Chisolm for a lineout.

MATCH REACTION: IRELAND 14 AUSTRALIA 30

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan: “In some areas we defended a lot better than last week and we got some good turnovers from our defence. It was much better first-half display. The area we haven’t improved on though is when it comes to taking our chances.

“We created opportunities but didn’t execute them properly with the one at the end of the first half when the pass didn’t reach Tommy Bowe sticking out. We didn’t have the points on the board to reflect our dominance.

“We had a really bad start to the second half and then conceded two tries in five minutes, but even then we were still in the game. It was a better performance from us but we need to be more composed. We weren’t and paid the price.

“I thought Andrew (Trimble) had a super game. Australia was a pretty deep end for him to jump into. He doesn’t have a lot of experience at senior level – he’s only just broken into the Ulster team this year – but he did really well.

“Andrew’s work rate was top-drawer. He carried the ball very well and defended superbly. It was a great debut. It would have been better had we won the game but it was not his fault we lost. I am very happy with him.”

Australian coach Eddie Jones: “We had a collective chat (at half-time) and told the guys to be more physical and be lower in the tackle. They were harsh words and from then on once you saw the manner the boys started the second half (scoring ten points in the half’s opening five minutes) there was only going to be one winner.

“It (kicking fifteen points) was a very courageous effort from Rogo (Mat Rogers). He’s got a cork just above his kneecap and that certainly prevented him playing with the freedom he would have loved.

“Rogo is a very tough footballer. If he can run on one leg he’ll still play. And that’s what he did. He plays his heart out every week and for him to kick the goals and play the way he did was absolutely outstanding.”

Ireland captain Simon Easterby: “We realised today that we had a second chance – 14 of us played last week (against New Zealand), and we were desperate to get back on the horse.

“We were pleased with our first half performance – certainly, it was a lot better than our performance in the first half against the All Blacks. Maybe Australia aren’t quite as good as New Zealand at the moment, but the intensity out there was just as high, and we came through the first half very well.

“But our performance in the second half was disappointing. We made the same mistakes again in defence, we gave away two soft tries, and just like last week, that’s cost us the game.

“Going in at half-time, we really felt we could go on and dominate the match, but the first ten minutes of the second half really killed us off.

“We’re learning some harsh lessons from making silly errors. The effort is there, and we were particularly pleased with that, but we’re just lacking composure at times.”

Australian captain George Gregan: “It’s just a nice feeling to win. Test matches are always hard to win, but it’s especially nice to get the win at Lansdowne Road. It’s always tough to beat Ireland here.

“We realised after the first forty minutes that we were in a difficult Test match. The pleasing aspect was the way in which we started that second half and then got ourselves back into the game.”

Ireland debutant centre Andrew Trimble: “Test rugby was always going to be a step up from the standard I played before. To win my first cap against Australia is very big thing and I learned a lot out there on the field today.

“At half-time we had the game by the scruff of the neck. Perhaps we should have been more clinical, but then they dominated just after half-time and put points on us.

“I was targeted a bit but I got some contact early – that settled me and was great. Fingers crossed, I will be in the team for Romania. I have got a cap now and all I want to do is get a second one.

“The Australians look smaller on television than they are in real life. In real life they are even bigger and stronger. I knew tackling these boys would be difficult but this is the standard I want to play at so I will have to get used to it.”

Australian man-of-the-match and try-scorer Chris Latham: “We fronted up – it’s been very frustrating with this run of defeats and the way things have been going it would have been easy for us to fold when things weren’t going our way.

“Courage got us there (in the end). We believe in what we are doing and where we are going and we proved that in the second half. It was a test of character as much as anything else.”