It was a case of so near, but so far yet again for the Wallabies as the side was unable to hold back a fast-finishing Ireland, the visitors holding on to win 33-31 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
A missed Ben Donaldson penalty after the clock went red was unable to pull a miracle win, coming after the Wallabies produced some of the best attack seen so far in the Joe Schmidt era.
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The result was five stunning tries to the hosts: with Jock Campbell, Dylan Pietsch, Ryan Lonergan, Josh Canham and Tate McDermott the beneficiaries - but when push came to shove in the second half, small mistakes proved costly.
The Irish worked their way back into the game, with tries to Cain Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan and Thomas Clarkson, with the latter’s effort proving the difference in the 77th minute.
So, what did we learn?
As Ben Donaldson’s penalty attempt slipped just wide of the posts in the 83rd minute, it proved a heartbreaking but fitting final moment to sum up a game decided by crucial decisions.
The Wallabies produced some of the best attacking rugby seen under Joe Schmidt, with stunning long-range tries, breaking the Irish line at will, and holding a commanding 12-point lead after 33 minutes.
However, the Irish worked themselves back into the game, a try to Jamison Gibson-Park on halftime proving the turning point of the match.
While the Wallabies maintained their intensity, Harry Wilson’s decision to point to the sticks in the 70th minute instead of go for the corner when the side had momentum proved a critical mistake, the missed penalty seeing the Irish pounce and apply pressure.
Ultimately, the Irish sucked the Wallabies into playing an attritional game which eventually squeaked them over the line, and with that, the rugby gods favoured them as Donaldson’s kick went wide.
A loss is still a loss, but it was hard to ignore how many brilliant Wallabies stood out in Sydney.
Jock Campbell signalled his intent to grab hold of the fullback jersey, producing a strong effort on his return from his 1,314-day hiatus in the gold jersey.
Josh Canham and Josh Nasser also impressed, the Reds combination shining through in a dominant set piece performance that saw them pinch three Ireland lineouts.
However, the biggest win of the night was the successful combination of Ryan Lonergan and Carter Gordon, the duo unleashing the Wallaby backline, with the momentum continuing with McDermott after the Brumby halfback was subbed off to the blood bin.
Despite missing two conversions that ultimately proved critical, Gordon’s attack and composure will give Wallaby fans hope that he could well be the starting flyhalf the men in gold have been desperately searching for.
With the promises came surprises, and one element that stood up was the Wallaby set piece against a tough Ireland side.
Despite the mixed form of Super Rugby, Nasser, Canham and Jeremy Williams asked plenty of questions of the world number three side, showing there are good options in the Australian engine room on top of Will Skelton, Nick Frost, and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
The powerful front row also impressed, with Taniela Tupou and Tom Hooper making a big injection to see scrum dominance push in the hosts’ favour, with Rob Valetini back to his barnstorming best.
On a night where the margins between victory and defeat were slim, the Wallabies have the makings of strong depth in set piece - if they could only string some wins together.
They are not the world number three side for nothing - and in Sydney, the Irish dug deep to produce a famous victory and take their winning streak over the men in gold to six.
Being out-enthused in the opening half hour, the try to Jamison Gibson-Park on halftime proved the most critical of the match, the score keeping the visitors in the game and giving them the momentum.
Turning attritional, they matched the Wallabies in the second half, and several critical decisions combined with habits ingrained on finding ways to win saw the arm wrestle tip in their favour.
It was not a perfect performance - but it was the performance the Irish needed to produce against a dangerous Wallaby side, and one that shows the marks of a mature side that has made winning second nature.
Compared to the catastrophic crash out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, there is no disputing the Wallabies have grown enormously under head coach Joe Schmidt, with moments of inconsistency interlaced with some of the biggest wins ever in the gold jersey.
But when it comes to how the highly respected coach will be remembered in Aussie rugby, the cold reality is that there is only one metric that determines success: wins.
Despite coming so close so many times, with Schmidt’s winning record now under 40 per cent, it’s time for the side to find something deep within over the next two weeks.
While the sellouts of multiple games suggest the Wallabies’ journey has struck a chord with fans, close losses simply don’t cut it anymore.
The side needs wins against France and Italy to not show the clear growth that has happened under Schmidt, but also to ensure the side has momentum when Les Kiss takes over for his sprint to the Rugby World Cup.
