Hooper backs Donaldson's match-winning attempt after Wallabies fall to Ireland in Sydney thriller

Michael Hooper has backed Ben Donaldson’s decision to attempt a match-winning penalty in the dying seconds of Australia’s 33-31 Nations Championship defeat to Ireland at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, arguing the fly-half was right to back himself with the game on the line.

Donaldson lined up a kick from 40 metres out and five metres in from touch with the clock in the red, needing three points to snatch a draw. He had pulled an earlier attempt wide left, and this time overcorrected, pushing the ball right of the posts to seal Ireland’s victory in front of a record crowd.

“I would have gone for the shot at goal there,” Hooper said. “You see he’s got the legs there, he corrected it, obviously over-corrected it, but it’s coming round so it’s not a bad strike. I think that’s the right decision. It’s a good decision and I love the fact that Dono goes ‘yeah I’ve got this’ and tried to win the game for his country off his own back.”

Former Wallabies scrum-half Nick Phipps echoed that sentiment, pointing to Australia’s overall kicking accuracy as the more telling factor. “We kicked three from seven for the game, Ireland kicked four from five. That’s it. It’s not about that last kick, it’s before that — it’s what happened throughout the whole 80 minutes.”

The Wallabies had looked well-placed for victory, leading by as many as 12 points in the first half after tries from Dylan Pietsch, Jock Campbell, Josh Canham, and Ryan Lonergan. Ireland clawed back through Jamison Gibson-Park before the break, then levelled early in the second half through Hugo Keenan before Sam Prendergast kicked them ahead.

Tate McDermott restored Australia’s lead five minutes later, and the Wallabies held it for more than 20 minutes. Ireland ultimately edged in front through a Thomas Clarkson try, converted by Prendergast, leaving the hosts less than two minutes to respond.

“Any kicker in the world kicks that, what a fantastic effort,” Hooper added. “I think all round that process was really good — the one before, not so good.”