Aussies have no answer to Ireland's call

Match report/Gerry Thornley: Brian O'Driscoll's wry smile gave it away. Eddie O'Sullivan had admitted the inclement weather had obliged a change in tactics and his skipper's reaction suggests we don't even know the half of it.

That they could practice with something new in mind from Monday, and then tear up the script on Thursday, to play the conditions perfectly underlined this team's adaptability.

All the indications were that Ireland had intended to attack the Wallabies out wide, and wide, and then maybe wide again. If so it would have been a daring and bold game-plan, but in the event the ceaseless end-of-week rain saw to that. No doubt Australia had to tailor their game somewhat as well but in the event Ireland adapted much better to the conditions.

The wet and the wind are meat and drink to Ronan O'Gara, and he and his long-time sidekick, Peter Stringer, used all their formative years on Munster paddocks to telling effect. Stringer's choice and execution of the box kick, and O'Gara's line-kicking were altogether smarter than George Gregan's and Steve Larkham's.

On top of which, of course, O'Gara landed six from six - a telling riposte to his critics after his travails in New Zealand with the Adidas ball. In these conditions all bar one tap over had to be considered hellishly tricky. It was a virtuoso outhalf performance.

The uneven kicking contest didn't end there, for in a game destined for aerial ping pong, the Girvan Dempsey-Matt Burke match-up was another key factor in Ireland holding sway throughout.

It was Burke's missed touch kick, retrieved by O'Gara, which led to the Irish outhalf's first penalty, but Dempsey was as safe as houses, ensuring no cheap field positions for the Wallabies. Where Burke looked unsure and hesitant, Dempsey's positional play, catching, kicking, and running the ball back were flawless.

But this wasn't just boot, bite and bravery. Ireland still mixed up their game more, evidence being the prelude to the second penalty when a remarkably quick spread of the ball by Stringer and O'Gara off a lineout launched O'Driscoll wide out.

O'Driscoll's typical offload in the tackle - like gold-dust in these conditions - was supported by Kevin Maggs, the extra yardage over the gain-line luring Australia offside.

By contrast, the Wallabies pummelled the opposing outhalf channel and midfield, hardly ever going wide until the game was pretty much up.

It took Keith Gleeson out of the game a lot, but he still made his tackles - as did the back row en bloc. With the marauding Maggs-O'Driscoll double act also in top defensive form, Toutai Kefu's impact was somewhat less than usual.

Stirling Mortlock was thus an under-employed dangerman. Even when strangely ponderous, though, Larkham is always a threat. His sumptuous cut-out pass released Mortlock for the break, kick and chase which required a try-saving, finger-tip touch from the covering Shane Horgan, at 15-6, some 10 minutes into the second half.

And Mortlock's failure to hold on to Larkham's defence-splitting inside pass in the 66th minute, just after Burke had reduced the lead to 18-9, looked a key moment.

By then Australia were chasing the game, something which they effectively volunteered to do. The toss in rugby is normally not nearly as important as it is in cricket, but this one was possibly right up there.

Ironically, given the pummelling England skipper Nasser Hussain is getting for giving Australia first use of the wicket in the Ashes First Test, Australia won this toss and, bizarrely, elected to insert Ireland, thereby give them first use of the wind and slanting rain.

O'Driscoll probably couldn't believe his luck, said thanks very much, and took the bonus of the kick-off as well. O'Sullivan had strongly hinted that Ireland would have played towards the Havelock Square End of the old ground anyway.

Australia's decision pretty much ensured it would be the home side who would be defending a lead in the second period. And surely it is always preferable to defend a lead in conditions which were only going to get worse?

O'Driscoll set the tempo with the game's first tackle inside five minutes, and fittingly, Anthony Foley drew a couple more lines in the, eh, sand, with a couple of big hits soon after.

O'Driscoll isn't just a fairweather, top-of-the-ground gamebreaker. When required, he can get down and dirty with the best of them. Not surprisingly, he responded to the captaincy by leading from the front and the rest followed.

Leadership is about what you do rather than what you say, right enough. O'Driscoll's work-rate was phenomenal, and he still came up with plenty of big plays, single-handedly dragging Ireland upfield first with a kick, charge down and chase, then with a hack through, in the build-up to O'Gara's sixth penalty and the breathing space of a two-score lead.

An unexceptional Wallabies tight five had been further undermined by the cruel loss of Owen Finegan in the first quarter and the Irish pack had underlined their supremacy with a huge lineout maul for that crucial penalty. Much like the parading of the Melbourne Cup at half-time, they rubbed Aussie noses in it with a big scrum at the end.

It was also the most inventive restart game Ireland have employed in years, and this further ensured Horgan became the game's most influential winger on a day not suitable for the breed.

He also saved a first-half try when snaffling Scott Staniforth from behind, generally made his presence felt throughout, and won a couple of O'Gara's restarts to the right.

These helped prevent Australia from establishing their patterns, and with a little help from Maggs, Victor Costello and Foley, came the penalty with which O'Gara had made it 15-6.

All the selection calls came up trumps, not least the recall of Costello. Big Vic had a big game, providing a torrent of go-forward ball for a pack that might otherwise have struggled to provide it, as well as getting through a high tackle count and work-rate.

His performance also typified the team's defensive discipline and shape. In injury time, when Australia attacked out wide and Shane Byrne went fishing at the breakdown, the Irish fringe defenders resisted the temptation to dive in. Instead Gregan did and was penalised.

There were no cheap three-pointers, unlike Kefu pushing Foley at a lineout and Gregan's dissent bringing a fourth pre-interval penalty 10 metres further and to within range.

So inspired had the team, crowd and day become that visions of Australian escapology only fleeting materialised, like when six minutes of injury time were signalled and Kefu set off with five unmarked colleagues to his outside only to turn back in.

Far from inspiring mass chewing of nails, by the end the defending was actually becoming enjoyable to watch. The

euphoria was already

starting.