O'Driscoll capped his 100th Test appearance by scoring the match-saving try with a minute to go as the Wallabies finally wilted before Ireland's late onslaught.

Australia saw their Grand Slam hopes evaporate with Ronan O'Gara's conversion in front of the posts and O'Driscoll hailed his side's refusal to concede defeat.

"I'm pleased we were rewarded for showing the bottle to stick with them until the death and grind out a draw," said the Ireland skipper.

"We tried a lot of things. Not everything stuck but plenty of things did. If you don't try these things you don't get better.

"We'll all be better for having played together. It's difficult to click when you haven't played together for six months.

"Australia have played a lot recently and for the most part we did reasonably well."

O'Driscoll's try was the product of a well-drilled set-piece move that saw him run onto a pass from Tomas O'Leary to stroll over unopposed.

"It's a smart play that we've practised a lot over the last year. In the Six Nations we didn't have the chance to use it," said O'Driscoll. "It's nice when plays like that come off."