15. Hugo Keenan
Brave slide to take a kicked through ball in the first half. Tackled hard throughout the match. A few contested high balls went against him, but stuck to his workload. Rating: 6
14. Mack Hansen
Quick up to pressurise Australia on a few box-kicks and defended strongly. Looked dangerous and able but stepped into touch twice. Defence better this time out. Rating: 7
13. Garry Ringrose
Big defensive effort in the first half. Did well especially picking loose men and aligning the defence when Australia went wide. Not much space to sniff forward ball in hand. Rating: 7
12. Stuart McCloskey
Again his physical presence is a benefit especially in the first 40 with Ireland mostly in their 22. Could have been more dynamic in stop-start match. Rating: 6
11. Jimmy O’Brien
Showed enterprise with his cross-field runs and startled the Australian defence a few times. One of Ireland’s lively players. Not a game for the backline to shine. Rating: 7
10. Jack Crowley
Showed that he was not overawed with the late call-up. Difficult to be dropped in and he did nothing wrong. Shaping the game is another step. Steep learning curve for him. Rating: 6
9. Jamison Gibson Park
Again gets Ireland ticking although not much of that in a defensive first half. Was aggressively targeted by Australia and has the wounds to show in a fractured game. Rating: 7
1. Andrew Porter
Heavy workload in the first half. Tackling and carried with strength and mobility. Part of big D especially in the first half. Rating: 7
2. Dan Sheehan
Throwing accurate into the lineout and his busy tackling first half a significant contributing factor. Smashed into Rob Valetini, showing durability at the gain line. Stepped up as first choice hooker once again. Rating: 7
3. Tadhg Furlong
Always a nuisance in contact and with ball in hand. Made the hard yards in stopping Australia in a torrid defensive forty minutes. Again, leaves nothing on the pitch. Rating: 7
[ Andy Farrell: ‘Good sides always find a way to win in the heat of the battle’Opens in new window ]
4. Tadhg Beirne
Excellent lineout work and industrious in the armwrestle of the first 40. Busy with breakdown pilfers in first half. Always in the dog fight. Huge workload. Rating: 7
5. James Ryan
Disrupted attacking Austrailan lineout for a turnover late in the first half. Was up with Doris as one of Ireland’s better players in a dogged match. Rating: 8
6. Peter O’Mahony
Wiley and working hard where it wasn’t seen. Lineout work good too. Didn’t last to the end of the game and will look at why Ireland gave away frequent breakdown turnovers. Rating: 6
7. Josh Van der Flier
As ever getting into contact and looking for those turnovers. Defensive work very good. Did all the meat and veg ball-slowing and trench work when required. Rating: 7
8. Caelan Doris
Lineout excellent and as a ball carrier made yards. Big tackle and carry game in the first half. His carry was the precursor to Aki’s try in the second half. Rating: 8
Replacements
Well look at what Craig Casey, Bundee Aki and Ross Byrne achieved. Ireland went from three points to 13 with Byrne sinking the pressure penalty on 76 minutes. In a messy game they came in and claimed enough control to eke out the win. Rating: 8
Coach Andy Farrell
Ireland marked up on their defence in the first half but the concern is they got very little going forward. That changed after half-time and they were more able to get on the outside with Hansen almost delivering to Gibson-Park for a try. Rating: 7
