Rugby: Wallabies in shock loss to Munster

Duncan Williams of Munster and Dean Mumm of Australia in action during the tour match between Munster and the Australian Wallabies at Thomond Park. Photo /Getty Images

The Wallabies have run into a classic rugby tour match ambush in Limerick, losing 15-6 to Irish powerhouse Munster in atrocious weather conditions.

In what might have been a genuine selection trial for this Saturday's Test match against Italy, the Wallabies stood next to no chance when they went to the break at 6-6 in a howling wind that would be against them in the second half.

They barely made it into Munster's 50 in the entire second half and few players pressed their claims in a week when coach Robbie Deans had said all positions were up for grabs after last weekend's Test loss to England.

Munster's Australian five-eighth Paul Warwick kicked three penalties and two drop goals to lead his side to a fourth straight victory over touring Australian teams.

For the Wallabies, captain Berrick Barnes booted two first half penalty goals.

It was a game which lived up to all the tour match mythology - the weather was wild, the punches flew and the locals were hostile.

"I have to say this is the worst Australian team I have ever seen," local commentator George Hook told the Irish television audience.

Goal-posts wobbled, box kicks went backwards and team-mates were needed to put a finger on the ball so it didn't blow over for goal-kickers as a southerly howled and the rain swirled with it.

A wild brawl erupted late in the first half, with even the wingers running in to get a piece of the action.

Warwick gave the home side the lead for the first time with a penalty goal two minutes after the break.

He added another seven minutes later for 12-6 and a second drop goal in the 61st minute as the game slid away from the second-string Wallabies, who appeared to have little idea how to handle the conditions.

The one bright spot for Australia was hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau getting through the match in his return from a serious ankle injury.

Munster are currently in first place in Europe's Magner's League, and have never stopped celebrating their historic 1978 win over the All Blacks.

Rugby is a religion in the grim but friendly city of 90,000, which has battled a spate of gangland violence over the past decade and is now in the grip of a fierce recession.

- AAP