A penalty goal from Chris Bridge in the closing minutes at Tetley’s Stadium was enough for Ireland to get a 16-16 draw with Lebanon and qualification to the 2008 World Cup finals.

The Lebanese had taken control in the second half and led by two points before a high shot gave Bridge the opportunity to level matters.

With both sides level on competition points and the Irish ahead on points difference a draw was enough for the Wolfhounds to seal qualification for next year’s centenary World Cup in Australia.

Lebanon will have the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup from the repechage round when they meet the losers of Sunday’s Wales-Scotland game in the repechage semi-finals at Widnes’ Halton Stadium.

Ireland looked to have taken control of the game early on by opening the scoring in the first minute when Liam Finn touched down a kick into the in-goal area from Paul Handforth, Finn adding the conversion to make the score 6-0.

The Irish were on top for the next 15 minutes but a second try eluded them; instead Lebanon got on the scoresheet when George Ndaira swerved his way over the line, reducing the score to 6-4.

But Ireland hit back almost immediately when Scott Grix touched down in a scrappy try – although video replays suggested it may have been Handforth that had the final touch – and Finn added his second conversion.

In a bad-tempered final few minutes of the first half Lebanon had a try disallowed for offside and Ireland took their 12-4 lead in at the half-time interval.

The high tackles continued after the restart, but it took only a few minutes for the Cedars to reduce the Wolfhounds’ lead, Chris Salem burrowing his way over the line and Toufic Nicolaus converted to make the score 12-10.

Chris Bridge kicked a penalty goal to increase Ireland’s lead but when Grix spilled a high ball and Frank Samia nipped in to score, Nicolas converting, it looked as though Lebanon would be making their way into the World Cup finals.

But ill-discipline finally cost the Lebanese dear when a high tackle gave Bridge the chance to draw level with a penalty goal and send the Wolfhounds through to Australia 2008.