Ben Donaldson misses late penalty as Ireland narrowly edge Australia in thriller

Replacement prop Tom Clarkson had moments earlier scored a try and the conversion out the tourists ahead late in the contest.

The home side were out of the blocks quickly and took a 24-19 advantage into the halftime break.

The pre-game script for this day one encounter in Test rugby's new dash for cash was written for recent Triple Crown winners Ireland to secure a sixth successive win over the Wallabies with comfort.

However, this crystal ball gazing was bunkum as the Wallabies were in front until Thomas Clarkson's 77th-minute try and even then the clunky Irish were left reliant on Ben Donaldson missing with his second penalty kick in the second minute of added time.

This breathless contest full of entertaining moments enjoyed a rollicking start, six tries scored in the opening 26 minutes. A lineout loss at the front was the trigger for Australia to strike for the first three minutes in, brilliant continuity after snaffling turnover ball ending with Dylan Pietsch enjoying a clear run to the line.

Power in the contact from Cian Prendergast got Ireland on the board eight minutes later, but the visitors were exposed again in the right-hand corner on 14 minutes. Carter Gordon, the sixth Australian No.10 in the soon-to-end Joe Schmidt era, left Josh van der Flier for dead and the sweep ended with Jock Campbell, last capped at Test level in 2022, galloping over.

Back came the Irish a second time, deception from Dan Sheehan at a tapped five-metre penalty resulting in Van der Flier diving over on 19 minutes, but the Wallabies then struck for the next two tries.

Josh Canham burrowed over on 24 minutes, benefiting from Rob Valetini's defence-panicking break, and the hosts were celebrating again two minutes later when Max Jorgensen picked off Sam Prendergast’s pass to Hugo Keenan on his team's 10-metre line, going in to give the assist pass over Stuart McCloskey’s head for Ryan Lonergan to finish.

Australia should have added to this double-score, 24-12 lead before the interval. However, Keenan, playing for Ireland for the first time since the 2025 Six Nations, executed a try-saving tackle on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and this rescue was followed by a clinical clock-in-the-red, length-of-field sweep that culminated with the move-starting Jamison Gibson-Park sprinting in from a Jack Conan assist.

Instead of a potential 29-12 gap, this swing left it 24-19 at the break and Ireland needed less than seven second-half minutes to take a two-point lead, another tapped five-metre penalty the catalyst and the move ending with Keenan darting over from Garry Ringrose’s assist.

That should have been the signal for the Wallabies to wilt, but they didn’t. Instead, they wrested back the advantage with Tate McDermott quickly tapping a free awarded against Ireland for early scrum engagement and worming over the line.

This 31-26 lead stayed intact with Sheehan's 58th-minute break-off-maul try cancelled for James Ryan’s obstruction on Valetini, and Ryan's 66th-minute fumble near the try line didn't help the Irish cause either.