Ireland will face South Africa in the opening game of this year’s November Test series, a first meeting between the countries in five years, and the last, ahead of their prospective clash in Pool B of the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France in Paris next year. Andy Farrell’s squad will also face Fiji and Australia.
The occasion will not lack spice with the Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, head coach Jacques Nienaber and former Ireland fullback and current Springboks’ attack coach, Felix Jones all having previously worked with Munster.
Since then, they helped to guide South Africa to a World Cup win in Japan (2019), and then followed up last summer with a Test series victory over the British and Irish Lions. Ireland last faced the Springboks in 2017 when they enjoyed a record 38-3 victory at the Aviva stadium.
The presence of South African teams in this season’s United Rugby Championship (URC) means that Irish players have a more recent competitive history with the Springbok players and one that will come to a point when the tournament reaches its conclusion next month.
Ireland will then face Fiji in the second match of the series a week later. The Pacific Island nation last played in Dublin in 2017 when Ireland were a little fortunate to secure a hard-fought 23-20 victory.
The Fijians qualified for RWC23 by finishing third in their Pool in Japan having pushed both Wales and Australia during that tournament. Ireland were due to travel to Fiji in the summer of 2021 but the global pandemic made it impossible to go ahead.
Ireland’s last game in November is against Australia; it has an unusually late kick-off time of 8.0pm. The most recent Test between the countries was in the summer of 2018 when Ireland, for only the second time in their rugby history, managed to win a series on Australia soil.
Having lost the first test 18-9 in Brisbane, Ireland, under Joe Schmidt, responded by beating the Wallabies 26-21 in Melbourne and 20-16 in Sydney. The last time that Australia visited Dublin was in 2016, when the home side narrowly prevailed 27-24.
Tickets for the fixtures will be distributed through the clubs in July while the Irish Supporters Club will be given a priority window to purchase before they go on general sale. Ireland head to New Zealand for a five match tour later in the summer.
Autumn fixtures:
Ireland v South Africa: Saturday November 5th, 5.30pm, Aviva Stadium
Ireland v Fiji: Saturday November 12th, 1pm, Aviva Stadium
Ireland v Australia: Saturday November 18th, 8pm; Aviva Stadium
