Michael Cheika has applauded the character shown by his Wallabies team and David Pocock's “off the chart” work-rate but warned Ireland will be come back bigger and better in next weeks second Test in Melbourne.
Despite winning just three of their last eight starts against Ireland, the Wallabies kept the worlds second best team try-less in a mighty 18-9 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
“I liked the character we showed in the game because it certainly didnt go our way along the momentum of the game,” Cheika said. “We were far from perfect, that was pretty clear.
Kurtley Beale of Australia scores a try.
Photo: AAP
“If we wanted to compete with them we needed a work-ethic that was the same, if not better. It proved to be a bit of a slogfest around one team going and another team going. I was really proud of that work-ethic. We tried hard to reduce our penalties as well. We can be better on that but I thought the effort was there.”
Australias back row of David Pocock – who scored a try in his first game for the Wallabies in 18 months – captain Michael Hooper and Caleb Timu starred in the nine-point victory.
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Cheika said he was pleased with the trios ability to combine, having not played a Test together before.
“The best back rows work well together,” Cheika said. “Poey; his work-rate was off the charts.”
Hooper added: “It was no surprise to me some of the stuff he [Pocock] was doing out there tonight. Playing against Caleb this time last week, it was nice to have him on our side for a change. We can only get better and the communication can only grow from there.”
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt also praised Pocock and said his men were beaten by a better team.
"Pocock put a lot of pressure on and he always makes a big difference to a team," Schmidt said. "I don't think there was too much between the teams. We'll just have to dust ourselves off. It's nothing we didn't expect, they are an unbelievably athletic and talented team. That's the level and we've got to be able to compete at that level."
The Wallabies travel to Melbourne on Sunday for next weekends second Test and already discussion has turned to a match where Ireland will be desperate to stay alive in the series.
“That was a tight match and we obviously know how good they were and we know that its going to get harder,” Cheika said. “Theyre getting over arrival, jet lag, they mixed a few of their players … theyre going to change their look against next week and we need to change our look.”
Asked about Israel Folaus no try in the 61st minute because of an Adam Coleman tackle in the lead-up on James Ryan, who did not have the ball, Cheika, unlike other occasions, bit his tongue and said he was more impressed by the response from his men.
“What I really liked was the way we reacted to that,” Cheika said. “Everyone thought it was a try, everyone is back in the back field and getting ready. I thought Michael Hooper managed that situation really well and we understand weve got to build a no excuses mentality.”
One of the defining moments of the match was the Wallabies decision to go for a tap rather than take three points on offer when the score was 11-9 in the dying stages.
Shortly after, Genia threw a flat pass to Pocock who dived over for his eighth Test try in the 72nd minute.
“We backed ourselves to do a job there and thought it would change the picture,” Hooper said. “If we throw something at them this game early on it might change how they react in later games. It paid off a couple of phases later than we probably would have liked but it got a job there at the end.”
Cheika said better player fitness across the board was “without a doubt” a factor in the favourable result.
“Players came in very well prepared, much better prepared than in the last couple of seasons because weve worked together,” Cheika said. “Thats a credit to the Super Rugby teams, without a doubt. Our Super Rugby teams get a lot of flack from all angles but they are doing a lot of stuff for us in the background.”
Tom Decent is a journalist with Fairfax Media.
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