Wallabies deliver sharp shock

In the far corner of the uncovered, seated stand behind the goal which Ireland had been attacking in the second half, a cluster of green-shirted supporters were singing and dancing. Not having seen much in the way of action in that period, it's hard to see what they had to sing about. They had obviously been drinking Australian, if not thinking Australian.

After a record Australian margin over Ireland, eclipsing the 42-17 win in Dublin seven years ago, there was, perhaps, cause for a sarcastic rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

But most of the tourists' supporters were leaving the quaint Ballymore stadium to adjourn to one of the many bar tents, or else to make their way through the suburbs of Brisbane and the chilly night into the city centre. Most would not be going on to Perth for the second Test, and most would probably be grateful for that.

The Irish players had spent what seemed like three-quarters of the game tackling; they had done so to a virtual standstill and had finished the game shagged. This was no reflection on Ireland's improved fitness levels, more on the ability of their opponents to keep the ball for three or four phases.

The lack of continuity and number of handling errors was the biggest surprise and concern arising out of this first Test. Time after time, at the point of contact, the Wallabies won or retained possession. Physically, they seemed in a different league, although it's as much a sense of cuteness - about when to take the tackle on their terms, rather than get isolated - and aggression. Just further proof, were it needed, that weekly Super 12 grounding is not so much from another part of the world, as from a different world from the likes of Cork Constitution Garryowen, or even the English league. Even when Ireland were recycling ruck ball, it was much, much slower. The Australia back-row was quicker around the paddock, and captain David Wilson, typically, was a sometimes legal - and often illegal - thorn in the Irish side.

It was clear from the manner the Wallaby forwards dived head first into the first two rucks, like swimmers entering a pool, that South African referee Andre Watson would have a loose, Southern Hemisphere interpretation of the need for players arriving at rucks to stay on their feet.

Perhaps Ireland could have reacted a bit better to this, but despite having two former captains and the current captain in the pack, they're still not a very streetwise outfit.

Warren Gatland observed that once a player is in any way proactive in producing the ball then he won't be penalised. So, assuredly, given Watson is referee again next Saturday, Gatland will encourage his forwards to take a different approach.

In any event, Ireland also got little or no return from Tom Tierney's box kicks or David Humphreys' up-and-unders, and despite being pretty solid in the set-pieces, they never got a foothold in the match.

Their first crumb of possession came after all of nine minutes, via a scrum for a knock-on, and their first penalty arrived 10 minutes later, and Humphreys produced their first points.

Most of the marginal decisions went against them - a particularly cruel five-yard scrum went against Justin Bishop when he seemed to wait for the ball to cross the line before grounding it - and they were unlucky when a clever line-out variation off O'Cuinneagain's quick deflection produced a slightly forward pass and prevented Keith Wood from scampering clear.

But when the tourists coughed up three balls in the first three minutes of the second period, you sensed it was going to be a long half. The cracks had already begun to appear; for instance, when Matt Mostyn took himself out of the game by hurtling in off his wing, and the conductor, out-half George Gregan, put Ben Tune clear away for the first try.

Others began to appear regularly, most notably in midfield. Your heart went out to Andy Ward, for he worked and tackled trojanly, only to see Daniel Herbert career through a gap for Australia's critical, post-interval try - finished off by the supporting Wilson.

No one covered at full back for the injured O'Shea when the wily Gregan kicked ahead in the build-up to Herbert's try, and then, as the Wallabies kept outnumbering Ireland after the initial breaches, the support play of substitute and former Springbok Tiaan Strauss earned him a debutant hat-trick.

The few highlights and signs that Ireland can penetrate with the ball in the hand came, not surprisingly, from the brilliant Brian O'Driscoll. His was the break which set up the close-in ruck from which Kevin Maggs scored, and he straightened the line and delivered the pass in the tackle which put Mostyn away for the near equaliser toward the end of the first-half. Rather than work O'Driscoll hard, he should be wrapped in cotton wool for the week.

Ireland were unlucky that Watson then asked for a re-scrum after Victor Costello had already picked up from the ensuing five-metre scrum. Dion O'Cuinneagain changed the call, and a laboured 8-9-6 move ended with a turnover when O'Cuinneagain was nailed by two men.

As with the Springboks last year, these Wallabies hadn't played together for seven months and were supposedly rusty. Imagine what they might be like with a bit more spit and polish next week.

Always look on the bright side of life?