Late Byrne penalty sees Ireland hold on v Australia

A memorable year ends with the most forgettable of wins.

If there was any danger of Ireland getting complacent, this game will have woken them up like a bucket of cold water.

The only real positive to speak of was the win. The final score of 13-10 didn't even look too pretty.

But for Ross Byrne’s redemption, there would have been little to smile about, the Leinster out-half landing the winning penalty from out on the right touchline with five minutes to play, having been called into the matchday squad just before kickoff.

Ireland’s preparations were hit in the warm-up, captain Johnny Sexton withdrawing due to injury, and Jack Crowley thrown into the deep end.

The Munster out-half handled himself well, but Ireland’s struggles were largely at the breakdown, where they traded penalties back and forth with the Aussies in a sloppy 80 minutes.

By the 55th minute, there had been just three points, Crowley’s first half penalty all that separated the sides.

When Bundee Aki barreled his way over to score the opening try 15 minutes from time, it looked like they had found another gear against a dogged Australian side.

But Jordan Petaia hit back with a Wallaby try instantly, and heading into the final 10 minutes it was 10-10. At the very least the punters would get some late drama.

Four minutes from time it finally arrived. Byrne, whose last Irish cap came in March 2021 found himself standing over a penalty, and the out-half was the unlikely hero.

On a real wintery night, Ireland started cold, and very nearly found themselves trailing inside three minutes. After a dropped ball by Gibson-Park and an early shove at the scrum, it ended when Nic White ran through a gaping hole at the side of a ruck to score.

However, Ireland were blessed to see