Draws always seem to be a bit of this and a bit of that, the good mingling with the bad, and leaving nobody either ecstatic or deflated. And so it was here, that Australia's dream of a clean sweep on tour petered out and Ireland failed to win for the first time in 2009. But nobody was left nursing any real bruises.

For Brian O'Driscoll this was a landmark occasion, cap number 100 with the Lions factored into his tally, and the treasure of these parts really should have been exempt from the cocktail of error and entertainment. But he was almost the epitome of the extremes, anonymous for the middle 75 minutes, but conspicuous at the beginning and at the end.

First he played his part in Drew Mitchell's try when Ireland tried to inject an element of surprise in the game by running from their own 22. Donncha O'Callaghan provided perfect ball from a defensive lineout and the Irish backs tried to convert it into an attacking option. So far so good, but the pass from Ronan O'Gara posed a nasty little question of its target: should O'Driscoll try to catch it or leave it?

He did neither one thing nor the other, or perhaps he did a bit of both, reluctantly holding out a single hand, off which the ball bounced, handing the Australian wing his try.

That was in the earliest stages and O'Driscoll would have to wait until the very last seconds to make amends. He had been very quiet, but at the death he had his chance and nailed it with absolute authority. The scrummage had been horribly uncomfortable all second half, but Jamie Heaslip managed to scramble the ball away to Tomas O'Leary. That was the improvised start to a rehearsed set-piece move, the off-the-ball runners foxing the Wallaby centres and O'Driscoll tearing through the gap left.

After the surprise that turned sour at the start this was the sweetest conclusion, and it was completely unsurprising that the scorer, for the 37th time for Ireland, should be B O'Driscoll. There was another who went through the same mix as the captain. Cian Healy was heading out not on cap number 100, but on his very first. On the negative side, he was under a lot of strain at the scrum, particularly in the second half. The chances of Ireland mounting any sort of challenge seemed to have shrunk to nothing as they were shoved out of shape by the most improved scrum in the world. A lot of put-ins have passed since the Wallabies last rocked opponents in the front row, but they did a comprehensive number on the Irish front row.

Healy's contribution to his primary role will probably not make his personal scrapbook. On the other hand, he was a remarkable presence in loose play. As Ireland had to scramble their defences once Australia found their way through the first-up line, Healy willingly ran back to make tackles on players who might have thought they should outpace a prop. And just when it seemed that the only refuge might be bravery in defence as the Wallabies took a firm hold on possession, Healy seized the ball and pounded his way into the far 22.

In the build-up to Tommy Bowe's try, the prop was the most powerful ball-handler. It was not the last time he would twist his way out of trouble. Even with a shoulder hurt in one of his forays he ran on to the end, pirouetting out of a twin tackle, carrying Ireland into the position from which Bowe would cross, without touching down, for the second time.

There remains work to do on the Healy scrimmaging technique, but props tend to be willing students. It is a point of principle, not to become known as a soft touch up front. Otherwise, the career before you grows only painful. What he offers around the field is a real bonus, bits and pieces in a heavily structured game, that cannot be coached. Not even Brian O'Driscoll can run out of his own 22, but if young Cian Healy can carry him up the other end the old boy will complete the job, and the bad will be complemented by the sublime.