Two missed five-pointers erased the value of a brilliant 75m strike by the Junior Wallabies when they fell to Ireland at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
The young Aussies led 10-3 midway through the first half before the superior pack power of the Irish bulldozed a deserved 30-10 victory in South Africa.
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The rain and mud in Paarl were far from ideal conditions for a Junior Wallabies outfit which wanted to back their attacking flair.
By contrast, the Irish revelled in the familiar conditions and their three second half tries were all scored through industrious work by forwards close to the tryline.
Junior Wallabies captain Teddy Wilson lamented inconsistency after his side was in striking range when down just 11-10 at half-time.
“Obviously, it’s a pretty disappointing result. The Irish were strong in the second half,” halfback Wilson said.
“The first half was solid from the boys but you’ve got to be solid for 80 minutes not just 40.”
The fallout from the loss means the Junior Wallabies are at long odds to make the semi-finals even if they beat England in their final Pool B clash on Tuesday.
The young Aussies made a positive start in the wet. Prop Massimo De Lutiis made three ball-carries in the opening 90 seconds as the Aussies found some instant rhythm.
The game was only two minutes old when flyhalf Jack Bowen scooted right from an attacking ruck and found winger Tim Ryan with an arcing cutout pass.
Ryan got across the line but the Irish cover defence made sure his boots clipped the touchline in that slippery corner of the field.
Ryan stayed involved when a superb chase in scramble defence saved a try when another Bowen cutout ball was intercepted and returned 65m.
The Junior Wallabies scored a terrific try off turnover ball at the 26-minute mark. Bowen spread the ball on his own quarter-line.
Centre David Vaihu made the telling break by eluding three defenders. He passed in-field to Wilson who found centre Henry O’Donnell in support for the run to the tryline.
A powerful Australian scrum had earned a tighthead early in the match but any advantage in that area dissolved when scrum rock De Lutiis was forced off injured just before half-time. As the second half rolled on, the Aussie pack was dismantled by the scrum of the Six Nations Under-20s champions.
Vaihu was Australia’s backline standout. O’Donnell was good too until possession started to dry up and chances did too.
A turning point arrived early in the second half when Wilson directed a strong backline attack to the right off a scrum. The play brought Darby Lancaster in from the blind wing and Mason Gordon in from fullback.
An overlap was created but Ryan spilt the final pass 15m out. Instead of regaining the lead and momentum, the Junior Wallabies backpedalled with back-to-back flaws at set piece.
A big Irish scrum and a third crooked lineout throw from hooker Max Craig compounded into the field position for Irish forward Brian Gleeson to plunge over after a 5m attacking lineout.
The Australians were still in it at 18-10 down at the hour mark but the Irish finished far the stronger with their superior organisation.
Backrower Daniel Maiava and lock Jhy Legg had positive moments for the forwards.
Junior Wallabies coach Nathan Grey was honest in his post-match appraisal.
"I think our inability to handle their set piece in the second half was a bit disappointing and with that comes the (lapses in) discipline around penalties," Grey said.
Grey is looking forward to the game against England, who crushed Fiji 53-7 and had far less trouble with the islanders than the Australians did in their pool opener.
"We can't control what happens in the other games but, for us, the important thing is the performance we put in against England."
Wilson too is looking to measure Australia's status on more than whether they reach the semi-finals or not.
"Obviously, it's going to be tough to go through but the boys still have the belief they can do well against England and get a win."
New Zealand's heavy 35-14 loss to France was another clear indicator that the northern hemisphere nations are dominant at Under-20s level. It was only emphasised by Italy's stunning 34-26 upset of hosts South Africa in the wet.
Ireland Under-20s 30 (G McCarthy, B Gleeson, J Nicholson, D Mangan try; S Prendergast con, 2 pen goal, J Oliver con) bt Australia Under-20s 10 (H O’Donnell try; J Bowen con, pen goal)
