What’s happening?
Ireland play Australia in their last game of the Autumn Nations Series. It’s a stand-alone, landmark fixture at the Aviva Stadium designed to celebrate the IRFU’s 150th anniversary.
Where & when?
The game will again take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday with a 3.10pm kick-off.
Have we any team news?
Sam Prendergast has been retained at outhalf, having evidently usurped Jack Crowley as the first-choice 10 in this November window. Andy Farrell has made four other changes to his starting line-up from a week ago, with Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Ryan all returning after being rested completely last week, as does Ronan Kelleher after his replacement’s role against the Fijians.
A positional switch sees Tadhg Beirne revert to blindside flanker, with the injured duo of Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale dropping out of the matchday squad, as does one of last week’s debutants, Cormac Izuchukwu. However, it is a measure of Gus McCarthy’s progress this season that the 21-year-old hooker is named on the bench ahead of Rob Herring after making an eventful Test debut last week.
For Australia, Joe Schmidt has made six changes from the Australia side that lost 27-13 to Scotland for Saturday’s game against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium (3.10pm). Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has recovered from an arm injury to take his place in the centre.
The Australian head coach has promoted a couple of the bench from the Scottish game to the starting line-up, Max Jorgensen takes over from Harry Potter on the left wing in the only change to the backline.
Nick Frost will form a new secondrow pairing with Jeremy Williams, who has recovered from illness, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto drops to the replacements while Will Skelton is not included in the matchday 23.
There are further alterations in the frontrow with James Slipper and the “Tongan Thor” Taniela Tupou coming in at loose and tighthead prop respectively with Angus Bell and Allan Ala’alatoa dropping to the bench.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris. Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
Australia: T Wright, A Kellaway, J Suaalii, L Ikitau, M Jorgensen; N Lolesio, J Gordon; J Slipper, B Paenga-Amosa, T Tupou; N Frost, J Williams; R Valetini, F McReight, H Wilson (capt). Replacements: B Pollard, A Bell, A Alaalatoa, L Salakaia-Loto L Gleeson, T McDermott, T Edmed, H Potter.
Are Ireland back to their best after thrashing Fiji?
What’s our history?
Australia is always an exciting encounter, but this fixture has the added flavour of the return of an old friend.
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt needs no introduction around these parts having shepherded Ireland into an era of unprecedented success during his six years in charge, coming after three seasons with Leinster. During Schmidt’s tenure with Ireland, Andy Farrell was defence coach and the latter’s succession as head coach offered real continuity. Ireland have evolved under Farrell, but some of Schmidt’s hallmarks remain.
Overall head-to-head: 37 played – Ireland 14, Australia 22, Draw 1.
Last five games: IRE 27 AUS 24 (2016 Autumn Internationals), AUS 18 IRE 9 (2018 Summer Tour), AUS 21 IRE 26 (2018 Summer Tour), AUS 16 IRE 20 (2018 Summer Tour), IRE 13 AUS 10 (2022 Autumn Internationals).
How has the series been so far?
Despite taking two wins from three games Ireland’s series has felt a bit flat. Much of that can be put down to the sucker-punch defeat to the All Blacks in their opener, the hangover from which seemed to linger for their three-point win over Argentina a week later.
The manner in which they dispatched Fiji on Saturday silenced some rumbling fears but, slippery as the Flying Fijians can be, they’re far off Ireland’s pace and therefore a big win was the only acceptable result from an Irish standpoint.
Australia enjoyed a successful start to their trip north, kicking it off with a 42-37 win over England before making Warren Gatland’s crumbling Wales look like a Tier Two nation at the Principality Stadium the following week.
But Scotland proved to be the Aussies’ unlikely party-poopers at Murrayfield on Sunday, beating the visitors convincingly 27-13.
For both teams Saturday’s result is the difference between their series campaign being chalked down as a success or merely meh.
Are there any tickets left?
Tickets for Saturday’s game have sold out.
How can I watch?
Virgin Media One will show the game live with coverage starting at 2pm. For those in the North, TNT Sports 1 will also have live coverage from the Aviva.
What are the conditions looking like?
Thankfully, Storm Bert has gone on his merry way, but this weekend is still likely to be on the unsettled side. Cloudy and blustery conditions are expected to preside over Saturday afternoon’s game with temperatures of around 13 degrees.
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