No luck

Lackluster Aussies beat plucky Irish

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Posted: Sunday October 10, 1999 05:34 PM

Tim Horan (12) passes Jonathan Bell on his way to score a try against Ireland. AP

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN/SI) -- The Northern Hemisphere is now 0-3 in World Cup matches against the major rugby powers from the Southern Hemisphere; namely Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

However, the Wallabies failed to look nearly as impressive as the All Blacks did in their match against England on Saturday.

Australia's consistent attack on the Irish lines eventually bore fruit as the Wallabies would take control of their Group E match in the second half to win 23-3.

An ugly fistfight between Australia's Toutai Kefu and Ireland's Trevor Brennan marred the Group E match at Lansdowne Road.

No. 8 Kefu connected with about 10 huge blows during their second half slugfest but referee Clayton Thomas gave Australia the penalty, suggesting he felt it was started by the Irishman.

Moments beforehand Brennan had flattened Wallaby hooker Jeremy Paul with an elbow to the head while the ball was in the air.

Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen said he thought Kefu would escape further action, even though Wales' Colin Charvis was suspended for two weeks and Argentina's Roberto Grau for three weeks after swapping blows in the tournament opener.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Macqueen said. "I'm very confident there won't be any citings if that's what you're asking. We got the penalty from the breakdown."

Wallaby flanker David Wilson struggled to hold Kefu back during the fight.

"It was heat of the moment," Wilson said. "There was a little bit of push and shove, one on one. It's ridiculous if anything comes of this."

Irish coach Warren Gatland and manager Donal Lenihan insisted they missed the incident, but Brennan had to be replaced minutes after the fight, suffering from several facial cuts.

The citing commissioner for the match, who remains unnamed until action is taken, has 48 hours to report.

Tim Horan, a survivor of the 1991 Wallaby team which won a famous quarterfinal against Ireland at the same venue, scored the winning try on 57 minutes, breaking a long, passionate stand by the hosts.

Horan's touchdown took the Wallabies into a 16-3 lead and he supplied a quick final pass as winger Ben Tune crossed on 77 minutes to make the result certain.

Gatland was disappointed with his team's performance. "We felt we didn't really fire a shot," he said. "I think we really let ourselves down out there this afternoon."

Australia always looked the more likely winner and the victory ensures qualification for a quarterfinal in Cardiff, probably against Wales, regardless of the final Group E games.

Although it lost, Ireland gets what may be its preferred route as long as it beats Romania in its final match. A playoff against a third-ranked team will be followed by a quarterfinal back at its imposing home ground.

It was the third triumph by a major Southern Hemisphere nation against a major Northern Hemisphere team so far in the tournament, but less convincing than South Africa's defeat of Scotland and New Zealand's victory over England.

Wallaby fullback Matt Burke had a dreadful start to the match when his kickoff went dead in goal and it barely got better from there.

Although he landed a penalty from in front on nine minutes, he missed two more before being temporarily replaced as kicker by Eales.

Burke also had trouble handing the ball in greasy conditions, twice letting Ireland off the hook with knock-ons during the opening term.

Eales missed his first kick at goal but got his second after flyhalf Stephen Larkham was hit high by Conor O'Shea as he tried to open up space on the left for Joe Roff.

The hosts had two penalty attempts for the half with one miss each to O'Shea and David Humphreys. Humphreys summed up their frustration with a speculative drop goal attempt which floated harmlessly short and wide of the target as halftime approached.

Australia lost both its hookers, Phil Kearns and Jeremy Paul, to the blood bin in the first half, although Kearns also had a strained foot and will have X-rays. Captain John Eales went off in the second half with a minor groin strain.

Paul resumed after the break and was welcomed back with an elbow to the head. Burke resumed the kicking duties and extended the Wallabies lead to 9-0 with a penalty on 46 minutes.

Ireland struck back gamely when Eales dropped the ball close to the hosts' tryline on 51 minutes and Ireland hooker Keith Wood picked up the loose ball, driving it down field with a long kick.

Tune hesitated near his own quarter, was nailed by two defenders and conceded a penalty which Humphreys kicked for 9-3.

But having thrown away several try-scoring chances the Wallabies finally got one right six minutes later.

A break by Tune was backed up by strong forward runs from Kefu and Richard Harry before Horan took a pass from scrumhalf George Gregan and split the defensive line.

Ireland

Australia

Referee: Clayton Thomas, Wales.