Wallabies Lose To Ireland, 15-8

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31275, 23 January 1967, Page 7

Wallabies Lose To Ireland, 15-8

(N Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) DUBLIN. Ireland's gift of the unexpected bobbed up again on Saturday when it beat Australia, 15*1, at Lansdowne Road.

The magnificence of Ireland’s five-eighth, M. Gibson, was the biggest single factor in the Wallabies defeat. He scored a brilliant opportunist try, had a helping hand in the team's other try and dropped two superb field goals. Just as Australia's five-eighth, P. Hawthorn, commanded the test two weeks ago against England, so was Gibson in command on Saturday. Except for a spell late in the game with the score at 12-8 and a chance for them to salvage a wm, the Australian forwards were not playing with their usual flourish.

The half-back, K. Cathpole, did not have his best day. But mainly it was a case of

Ireland winning because of the old formula: the team which dominates the line-outs dominates the game. The Australian manager (Mr W. McLaughlin) said later: “Full marks to Ireland, as they were a better team on the day. That Gibson is quite a foot- [ baHer.” His try was a sparkling piece i of football. A scrum was ordered with the Australian back-row forwards almost standing on their own try-line and with Catchpole to throw the ball in. The hooker, P. Johnson, heeled the ball cleanly but Cathchpole did not pick up, allowing Gibson to grab the ball and go over. He seemed to come from nowhere and left Australia puzzling as to how it had dropped another three points so swiftly. Australia has now won two tests (Wales and England) and lost two (Scotland and Ireland), with France to play on February 11.