Ireland v Australia winners and losers: ‘No ceiling’ for Caelan Doris while ‘special’ Wallabies star shines on ‘out of sorts’ day for backline duo
Ireland number eight Caelan Doris on a run against the Wallabies.
Following Ireland’s come-from-behind 22-19 victory over the Wallabies in Dublin on Saturday, here are our winners and losers from the Autumn Nations Series clash.
Winners
Gus McCarthy
That’s now two tries in two Tests for Ireland as last week’s starter against Fiji switched to bench duty and duly provided the required impact his team craved.
Ireland needed to up the ante in the closing stages and he looked keen to impress with the young hooker refusing to release the ball from the maul for his try.
Craig Casey
Much like McCarthy, he enjoyed an impressive match last week v Fiji and was rightly bumped up the pecking order as the big guns returned for this final fixture.
Casey is growing into the player many have known for a long time he is capable of and more time in a green shirt will only benefit Ireland’s future number nine.
Fraser McReight
One of the standout performers at the Aviva Stadium, McReight returned to action and demonstrated what a special player he is as he toiled away in a huge shift.
The openside was excellent at ruck time, had an engine in open play and provided such a lift to the Wallabies pack after missing last week’s defeat to Scotland.
Noah Lolesio
Credit to the fly-half who has really stamped his name on the number 10 jersey of late, with consistent showings in a gold shirt that he can be incredibly proud of.
Solid off the tee and intelligent in possession, Lolesio edged his battle with Sam Prendergast and will be happy with how his Autumn Nations Series played out.
Out of sorts Ireland fight back against improving Wallabies to celebrate Cian Healy feat with a win
Cian Healy
134 and counting. Healy came on to the pitch in the second period to move one game clear of the great Brian O’Driscoll as Ireland’s all-time most-capped player.
It’s quite an achievement from the 37-year-old and his longevity in the front-row has to be applauded, with the loosehead showing little signs of calling it a day.
Caelan Doris
Brilliant again. Doris led from the front and continues to look at home with the added captaincy responsibilities, showing he has no ceiling to his brilliant game.
Crossed the whitewash for the second match running too as he went the full 80 minutes for the Ireland cause today. His transition to skipper has been seamless.
Josh van der Flier
The same can be said of Van der Flier as these two in the back-row were excellent and all but nailed down their starting roles for the British & Irish Lions in 2025.
Like Doris the openside flanker went over for a try and emptied the tank both with and without the ball, with his personal battle with Wallaby McReight a joy to watch.
Sam Prendergast
Another senior international Test under his belt will have done Prendergast no harm whatsoever and in truth he looked good for it after some wobbles last weekend.
This was a much more polished showing from the Leinster fly-half and gives him and interim head coach Simon Easterby a base to build off during the Six Nations.
Losers
Finlay Bealham
The start of nightmares for the tighthead as two dropped balls had him cursing the heavens. To his credit he did settle thereafter but will rue those early mistakes.
Bealham was replaced by Tom O’Toole on 53 minutes, who would cough up a needless penalty, so one would say Ireland is looking forward Tadhg Furlong’s return.
Jamison Gibson-Park
Not at his devastating best around the fringes and also with his usual razor like awareness of a game as Gibson-Park struggled to impact the contest at the Aviva.
As mentioned, his replacement Casey really stamped himself on proceedings and provided an increase in tempo. Is it possible Gibson-Park’s shirt is under threat?
James Lowe
Lowe was also out of sorts today and struggled to connect with his teammates which is unlike the wing who usually appears on the same page as those around him.
A skew kick out of hand was one of several mistakes but to his credit Lowe kept offering himself and will never shy away from work. He will no doubt bounce back.
Tane Edmed
One has to feel for the young Wallabies fly-half as his Test bow was reduced to just three minutes as a head knock forced him from the action shortly after coming on.
Hopefully the 24-year-old isn’t too downhearted by his curtailed debut and no doubt Joe Schmidt and his teammates will be getting around new Wallaby cap 990.
James Ryan
Lastly it was a disappointing day at the office for Ryan, who struggled to impact his game on proceedings in his 53 minutes on the field before being replaced.
In a match that could have locked up his place on the Lions’ plane to Australia next year, Ryan will be hugely disappointed how his afternoon went in Dublin.
