Dublin: Ireland's record points scorer Ronan O'Gara said on Saturday he would be "done with Ireland" in a few weeks time, signalling that his 11-year international career is likely to come to an end after the World Cup.
The 34-year-old Munster fly-half came off the bench and kicked two late penalties on Saturday to seal a thrilling 15-6 win over Australia in Auckland that transformed Ireland's World Cup hopes.
O'Gara, twice a Heineken Cup winner and the tournament's highest ever points-scorer, was close to tears when speaking to the media after the game and told Ireland's national broadcaster that his international days were coming to an end.
"It's massive, this is it for us, I'm done with Ireland in a few weeks," an emotional O'Gara told RTE television.
"I've had a great time in this jersey but I want this to be the biggest time. It's a great team, a great bunch of lads and it means a lot to us."
100 caps
O'Gara has scored over 1,000 points for Ireland, almost twice as many as any other player and is one of only three players to have won over 100 caps for the country, his 113 appearances second only to captain Brian O'Driscoll.
The US-born kicker, who has been vying with Leinster's Jonny Sexton for the Irish number 10 jersey over the past two seasons, dropped a dramatic last-minute goal against Wales two years ago to seal Ireland's first Six Nations Grand Slam since 1948.
Coach Declan Kidney prefers historians to debate whether Ireland's heart-pumping World Cup victory over Australia was its greatest but he says it was nice to finally get one over on the Wallabies.
The redoubtable men in green produced one of their most spirited performances to fluster and harry the Tri-Nations champions to an abject 15-6 defeat in what felt a ‘home ground' atmosphere at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.
Ferocity
The driven Irish stunned the Wallabies with their ferocity and commitment to pressure them into error and take charge of Pool C after two games and throw World Cup quarter-final forecasts out of the window.
Such was the tactical supremacy and forwards dominance that Kidney was asked whether it was Ireland's greatest-ever rugby performance ranking alongside the Emerald Isle's Grand Slam triumphs of 1948 and 2009.
"I think when you're involved in the middle of something it's probably not fair to say," Kidney said.
"It's a privilege to be working with the lads and it's a privilege to be here and we'll enjoy the night but historians can look back and say that.
"We've had a few close calls in the past against Australia, but I think it's fair for others to decide that question — it's a good reason for a party."
It was Ireland's first victory over Australia in five World Cup encounters after the heartbreak of two one-point defeats — 19-18 in the 1991 quarter-finals and 17-16 in the pool phase in 2003.
