The tourists went into the break trailing Ireland A by 11-3 but played put on a determined display to comeback late in the match and seal and enthralling 24-17 win.

"It was a very encouraging win," Australia A coach John Muggleton told Sportal after the match.

"I thought this team was the first team on this tour to actually stick to the game plan for the full 80 minutes and it resulted in a win."

"It is a guide for the Wallabies to show how we have to play the conditions over here, we can't play the way we play rugby in Australia. We have to be patient and stick to the game plan."

The match was played in drizzling rain with a strong wind assisting the home side in the first half and they used it to their advantage to slot two early penalties from flyhalf Jeremy Staunton for a 6-0 lead.

Ireland went further ahead just after the half-hour mark when Luke Fitzgerald scored the opening try after some impressive lead up work from Irish flanker Stephen Ferris. Staunton's conversion took the scoreline out to 11-0 to the locals.

Australia A bombed a chance to answer back immediately when an impressive drive was stalled by the Irish defence before Drew Mitchell spilled the ball in a ruck close to the Irish line.

The tourists eventually got on the scoreboard two minutes before the half-time break when Cameron Shepherd converted a penalty to cut the deficit to 11-3.

Both teams came out of the dressing rooms keen to move the ball, and after nine minutes of the second stanza it was the Australians who broke through.

A neat offload from flanker Stephen Hoiles set up a movement which went through the hands before finding an unmarked Adam Ashley-Cooper on the right touch line who strolled over the line for the team's first five-pointer. Shepherd converted to pull the Aussies within one point of their rivals.

After a period of entertaining play where the two teams traded attacking raids, it was Ireland A that nudged further ahead with a third penalty goal from Staunton, stretching the home team's lead to 14-10 at the mid-way mark of the second half.

Australia A continued to make inroads into the Irish defence with some strong attacking play from inside centre Scott Staniforth, who made two decisive busts in the centres.

However some crucial mistakes let the Australians down, before the Irish kicked clear by seven points with a fourth penalty goal after Australia A lock James Horwill was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.

But the decisive moment in the match came with nine minutes left on the clock. Australia A skipper Al Campbell elected to find touch when his team was awarded a penalty in easy kicking range and it was a gamble that paid dividends.

Experimental flyhalf Mark Gerrard skirted across field and found Morgan Turinui on the inside for the game-tying try. Turinui ran a perfect line and dragged a defender across the tryline to draw level with the locals at 17-17.

Both teams had their chances with the ball, but it was the Australians who found a way to win. Mark Gerrard kicked through the Irish line from half-way, before Morgan Turinui, who trailed through on the Gerrard kick, put boot to ball again while the ball rolled into the Irish 22.

Ireland A winger John Kelly appeared to have the ball covered, however it popped out of his hands and rolled over the tryline, where Staniforth, who was among the best for the visitors, touched down on the loose ball to score the match-winner in the dying seconds.

Australia A 24
Tries: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Morgan Turinui, Scott Staniforth
Conversions: Cameron Shepherd 3
Penalty goals" Shepherd

Ireland A 17
Tries: Luke Fitzgerald
Penalty goals: Jeremy Staunton 4

Sportal