Captain Paul O’Connell happy with the end game

Paul O'Connell, following an astonishing performance from the 35 year old, is asked whether Ireland would have lost this match to the Wallabies 12 months ago.

The obvious comparison being the seven systems errors down the home straight Joe Schmidt alluded to after last year's defeat to the All Blacks.

"I don't know if it is a game we would have lost 12 months ago," said the Ireland captain. "Certainly we are a lot happier with the way we finished. Against France, and South Africa two weeks ago, we didn't finish well so to see the quality they brought off the bench - some top class players - for the last 25 minutes and for us to be able to defend the way we did, and not give them any easy outs was very satisfying.

“That’s an improvement.”

It was O’Connell who blotted out the sun. As the seconds ticked away 108 kilograms of Australian muscle came thundering out of their territory. O’Connell embraced Ben McCalman with a greater ferocity and superior will, driving the number eight back from whence he came.

That was the game. That and the Mike Ross scrum when he squeezed James Slipper into submission. That and Jonathan Sexton's six successful penalties from seven attempts. That and the wingers' tries - thrilling speed from Simon Zebo and the guile of Tommy Bowe.

Ireland find themselves in such a position of strength that they can knit pick now. Word from the camp is offloading was deemed out of bounds unless the percentages demand it.

Zebo tried to do for Sexton what Brian O'Driscoll did for him at Cardiff two seasons ago but Bernard Foley slapped the ball to ground and a flurry of Wallaby activity saw Nick Phipps scramble for five points up the other end.

“We’ll back our players to play what they see,” said Less Kiss. “Sometimes those things happen and it offered them access into the game that they do like. We still could have made the tackles that mattered in that moment.

“Certainly we are not about being frivolous with the ball but we also back our players to play if they see the opportunity.”

Sounds like partial redemption for Zebo. Dave Kearney returns from a cruciate tear for Leinster this weekend but can he scorch the earth like Zebo did for his try?

A healthy debate commences.

“We’ve been in this situation before and it didn’t serve us well,”O’Connell added in direct reference to the clean sweep of November international sin 2006.