There were joyous scenes in Sydney on Saturday as Ireland’s players celebrated their 33-31 over Australia with those closest to them. Andy Farrell’s men got their Nations Championship campaign off to a winning start after a titanic tussle with Australia, managed by former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt. Prop Tom Clarkson’s late converted try secured the dramatic victory as Sam Prendergast held his nerve to kick over the resulting conversion. Replacement Clarkson powered over from close range to level the scores at 31-31 with just
three minutes left in a pulsating encounter at the Allianz Stadium, before Sam Prendergast slotted the match-winning conversion. Australia replacement fly-half Ben Donaldson had an opportunity to snatch victory for the hosts with a long-range penalty in the dying moments, but his effort drifted wide in a match that featured five tries apiece. Following the full-time whistle, Ireland’s stars celebrated with their families, friends and fans at the 45,500 capacity stadium.
Ireland, Australia, Nations Championship, Andy Farrell, Joe Schmidt, Tom Clarkson, Sam Prendergast, Ben Donaldson, Allianz Stadium, Sydney