The official reaction of both teams was presented in a freezing, poorly lit excuse for a media centre (tent) at the back of the West Stand. Events largely mirrored what had gone before: disjointed, with little elaboration on the most important questions. For Ireland, the answers are not available just now.

Irish rugby was handed the usual platitudes. Pride and passion. Tore into us for 40 minutes. Thanks for the game, lads. It was a nice way to break our duck of seven defeats on the trot. Thus spoke the Aussies, albeit in more diplomatic tones.

"I wasn't too worried about Ireland not taking their opportunities," said visiting coach Eddie Jones. "Test match rugby is about taking your opportunities. We've had a win against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. I thought they played immeasurably better than they did against New Zealand the previous week. They were much more direct, much more committed.

"I felt our back row was one of the most significant differences in the second half."

But when he spoke to a posse of Australian journalists later, Jones eventually gave an insight into the difference in attitude between the nations.

"In the second half there we were never going to lose that game. As soon as we kicked off, I felt we were going to win."

Never.

Eddie O'Sullivan put the raft of runaway tries in successive weeks down to attempting to adopt a brand of less-structured rugby. Of course, seven injuries, including two leaders, and new combinations haven't helped. But a lack of composure ultimately ensured a failure to trouble yet another Southern Hemisphere side.

O'Sullivan stated his wish for the future: "To be less predictable as a team - that would keep the ball in hand more and that means taking more risks with the ball in our hands, and not being a side that is totally predictable as to when we kick the ball or run with the ball.

"I think we had got to that point a bit last year, so part of what is changing is the team going forward, and getting younger fellas into the squad is changing the way we play the game.

"In the last two weeks, despite playing two of the top teams in the world, we've run with the ball more than we have in a lot of other games, and of course there is a risk element in that. When you lose the football in those situations you get punished severely for it, and you do have to show a lot of composure under pressure. That doesn't come without practising and practising it, but you've got to go out and execute it under the crucible of a Test game. We're still in that process."

David Humphreys was quick to dismiss the idea of a return to a pre-Lens period of inadequacy.

"I don't think we're at that stage. Back then the provinces were doing badly and they are all doing well now.

"Obviously Ireland are missing two or three of their key players through injury. We're talking about players who would make a world XV - that's how good they are. It's a matter of getting injured players back and getting the confidence back."

Debutant Andrew Trimble merely reproduced the uncomplicated yet competent performance he had produced on the field when queried about his breakthrough at international level.

"They look bigger than on TV," he said in a thinly veiled reference to Lote Tuqiri. "Ach, I had expected to be tackling these boys and running alongside them. It was a bit more difficult in practice.

"There were no surprises really. That is the standard I want to play at, so it is something I've got to get used to."

His partnership with Gordon D'Arcy?

"In the first half, we defended quite well together. Second half not as well. It is difficult when they keep coming at you. You are liable to be broken down eventually. I enjoyed playing alongside Gordon, and I hope he did too."