Ronan O’Gara: ‘They have to be careful the Lions doesn’t become elite. The cost is very expensive’
The La Rochelle coach landed in Brisbane jetlagged, but still did more than just wing it as Sky Sports co-commentator on the Reds-Lions match
Joe Schmidt
News, features, and analysis on former Ireland rugby union head coach and current Australia head coach Joe Schmidt
Morale-boosting win on Saturday will give Lions the pride they need before first Test in Brisbane
Tourists face Australia-New Zealand invitational XV at Adelaide after unconvincing midweek win over Brumbies
Matt Williams: Owen Farrell could prove a clever pick for the Lions
Australia must try something abominable against Andy Farrell’s team
Australia name squad for Lions Test series, with James O’Connor earning Wallabies recall
James Slipper included in 36-player squad as Joe Schmidt looks to utilise veterans’ experience
Conor Murray: With Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the strings, the Lions will look like Ireland in red jerseys
Our new columnist writes that the Leinster scrumhalf invariably makes right decision in possession
Joe Schmidt plots the improbable against business-focused Lions
The idea that the Lions are a portal into a more innocent time no longer holds true
Gerry Thornley: As Lions phoney war nears an end, Irish players push hard to dominate first Test line-up
Andy Farrell was comfortable in the knowledge that his team should have beaten Brumbies by more than 12
Australia’s Noah Lolesio to miss Lions Test series due to neck injury
Australia’s first-choice outhalf out of rugby ‘for foreseeable future’ but expected to make full recovery
Gerry Thornley: The Lions must be wary of wily old fox Joe Schmidt. Something special is brewing
Neither Australia not the Lions have looked particularly formidable so far, but something special could be brewing
Underpar Australia leave Joe Schmidt with plenty of food for thought before Lions Tests
Head coach accepts Wallabies will be perceived as underdogs for the upcoming series
Australia secure controversial late win over Fiji with disputed try
Harry Wilson’s late try was awarded even though there wasn’t clear evidence that he grounded the ball
Matt Williams: Lions’ insulting attitude is nicely stoking Australian pride
There’s been a whiff of rugby imperialism from the so-called home nations. Joe Schmidt may yet teach them a lesson
View from Down Under: Lions unlikely to be troubled by weakened Waratahs
Balancing the needs of Super Rugby clubs and the Wallabies has been tricky
Matt Williams: It’s vital for Australia that the Lions play with style
It’s galling that some commentators portray the British and Irish Lions as brave underdogs
Australia have scent of blood in their nostrils after seeing the Lions tamed
Wallabies are light years from the lambs Eddie Jones led to slaughter at the 2023 World Cup
Joe Schmidt rejects Lions demands to release Australia stars for tour games
Wallabies are due to play Fiji on Sunday week as they prepare for series
Lions warn Joe Schmidt over Australia player release for tour matches
Lions CEO expects competitive Western Force side to face Lions in Perth next Saturday
Matt Williams: Lions can’t afford to be infected by Irish rugby’s sense of entitlement against resurgent Australia
Wallabies have made significant progress since the disaster of World Cup 2023
Australia squad thin on playmakers may come back to bite Joe Schmidt
There is more on the line for the British & Irish Lions tour than just pride for beleaguered Wallabies
Australian outhalf James O’Connor not included in squad for Fiji Test
O’Connor looks set to miss the Lions series as two uncapped players named by Joe Schmidt
Australia blow with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to undergo surgery before Lions clash
Wallabies star suffered a fractured jaw after on-field collision with a Waratahs team-mate
Australia coach Joe Schmidt to ditch no-overseas-based players policy for Lions tour
Players like Samu Kerevi, Pete Samu and Will Skelton in frame for squad to be picked before first Test
Joe Schmidt visits bastion of Aussie rules football in search of winning ideas
Wallabies coach is in home of Western Bulldogs in Melbourne, and thinking about how to beat Lions in second Test in July
Joe Schmidt to lead Australia on European tour to allow smooth transition with Les Kiss
Les Kiss to see out Super Rugby Pacific contract with Reds before taking over Wallabies in mid-2026
Ronan O’Gara says he would consider Australia head coach job
Joe Schmidt will end his stint in charge of the Wallabies in October
Joe Schmidt to step down as Australia head coach in October
Former Ireland head coach succeeded Eddie Jones after a poor showing by the Wallabies at the 2023 World Cup
Lions boss Andy Farrell confirms appointment of David Nucifora as GM
IRFU staff members Aled Walters and Vinny Hammond will also join tour to Australia
‘I want to put my mark on things’: Simon Easterby sees chance for he and Ireland to grow together
Warren Gatland says Ireland have benefitted from ‘favourable’ Six Nations draws
Gordon D’Arcy: Ireland have the grit and resilience to improve for the Six Nations
As Ireland evolve their game, mistakes are natural and fixable. What matters most is their character – key to enduring the toughest match days
Ireland capable of kicking on from patchy autumnal campaign, says Farrell
‘Three from four, some good stuff and some not so-good stuff ... But that’s what you want in an autumn isn’t it?’
Five things we learned from the Autumn Nations Series
Ireland underwhelm with errors; Schmidt’s young team; outhalf competition set to continue
Australia media point to improved Lions tour prospects after ‘gutsy Ireland defeat’
Joe Schmidt’s side take positives from last game of November tour despite failing to hold on for victory in Dublin
Joe Schmidt: ‘I felt we could have built on our lead after half-time’
Schmidt was hopeful for the future of Australian rugby but was also reminded that much work still has to be done
Ireland 22 Australia 19 FT: As it happened
Follow all the action as Andy Farrell's men aim to end November on a high
Andy Farrell wants Ireland to deliver against Australia to show they are on an upward curve
A self-assured Sam Prendergast has been added to an Ireland where the bulk of the World Cup team remains intact
‘Superhero stuff’: There’s only one Cian Healy
With the Leinster man poised to become Ireland’s most capped player of all time by appearing against Australia on Saturday, people who have played with him or coached him describe a unique athlete and character
Joe Schmidt: ‘I feel comfortable here. Ten years is a long time’
Australia's Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has recovered from an arm injury to take his place in the centre
Andy Farrell hoping Ireland have kept their best performance until last against Australia
Ireland see return of Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ronan Kelleher and James Ryan, as well as the retention of Sam Prendergast at outhalf
Ireland v Australia: TV details, kick-off time, team news and more
Ireland play their last Autumn Nations fixture at the Aviva on Saturday
Ireland v Australia: Battle of set-play detail could prove a defining subplot
Three games into his tenure, we are starting to see Ireland open up a new playbook under set-play guru Andrew Goodman
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii becoming the next wizard of Oz
Australia’s outside centre made his senior debut in rugby union against England and won the Player of the Match award
Joe Schmidt’s detail will be devilishly difficult to counter but Ireland can still win
This group of Australia players seems to bear a remarkable resemblance to the Leinster squad when Schmidt first arrived in Dublin
Paul O’Connell rules himself out of the Munster running in the ‘short-term’
Forwards coach played under Schmidt at a World Cup and still uses some of the ideas the Kiwi and former Ireland coach introduced
Joe Schmidt well on his way to making Australia formidable again
The former Ireland coach has transformed the squad and progress is evident since he took on one of the most difficult challenges in world rugby last March
Joe Schmidt factor makes Australia game special for Ireland and Andy Farrell
As the New Zealander first ‘taught Ireland how to win’, it would be particularly satisfying to beat his Wallabies
Joe Schmidt: ‘I’ve swapped sides again and there’ll be a degree of unpopularity’
Former Leinster and Ireland head coach set for Aviva return with the Wallabies
Andy Farrell and Ireland aiming to end the year on a high
Lions-bound Ireland coach relishing the chance to celebrate the IRFU’s 150th anniversary by taking on Joe Schmidt’s Australia
Scotland too strong for Australia as they end their grand slam hopes
Wallabies now head for Dublin with what they may regard as their own campaign-defining match against Ireland
Matt Williams: Take a deep breath and see how Sam Prendergast copes with big Fiji test
Praise the French Rugby Federation for the way they highlighted the spiritual element of our sport
England captain Jamie George urges team to be brave against Australia
Steve Borthwick’s side suffered narrow defeat to All Blacks in Autumn Nations opener
Obsessed. The Autobiography by Johnny Sexton: One of the best Irish sports books ever written
Paul Howard hails a frank and revealing book that achieves the rare feat of being worthy of the brilliant career that preceded it
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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