Dec 01,2024
One former ruler returns, another takes his leave, a genuine out-half battle that looks set to run for years, a Lions sub-plot, and there's the small matter of a 150th birthday party.
Ireland versus Australia in the final match of the Autumn Nations Series couldn’t be set up any better.
Andy Farrell says he wants to see "the best" performance of the window.
The result from the All Blacks clash was always going to colour the perception of the series, but before Farrell departs on his British and Irish Lions sabbatical, he has one more chance to head off on a high.
The team were uncharacteristically poor against New Zealand, somewhat fortunate against Los Pumas to hang on for a 22-19 win, and even in an eight-try victory over Fiji, had plenty to work on.
But Farrell, who made seven changes for that game, will be relatively pleased with how they dealt with the tough-tackling islanders.
Previous comparable games, against Fiji in 2022 and Samoa last year, when he also made multiple changes, didn’t work out.
In that sense, his squad has made progress.
While the 49-year-old insists it has been business as usual before his last game with Ireland until next November’s games, there’s no doubt he and the players will want to end on a high as well as lay down a marker for the Lions summer tour.
"It just so happens that we’re here on a big game with the last game, but after that what will be will be. We’ll turn that page when we get to it," he said.
The return of Joe Schmidt, a three-time Six Nations winner with Ireland between 2013 and 2019, adds to the mix.
Whatever about his final year in charge, Schmidt brought Irish rugby to a new level during his stint and he can bank on a warm welcome from the Aviva Stadium crowd.
"There'll be some emotion in it for me, for sure," said the New Zealander (below), who became an Irish citizen in 2015.
He’ll need to use all his inside knowledge of Farrell and his players to get a result, which would prevent Ireland winning four in a row against Australia for the first time since the 1958-1968 streak.
Whatever motivation he can pass on to his charges will be badly needed today because last Sunday in Scotland, they looked a tired bunch.
The hosts were good, they are getting better and will no doubt be more than optimistic about beating Ireland in springtime (when are they not?) but the Aussie tackling for the tries in the 27-13 loss was scarcely believable.
They missed 11 tackles building up to the four scores; that won’t have been pretty in Schmidt’s infamous Monday morning review.
They are without chief Leinster nemesis Will Skelton who has returned to La Rochelle with this game falling outside the official international window.
There is a boost with exciting centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (below) being passed fit after coming off with a wrist injury.
"We were quite confident in the progress we were making, but sometimes when it’s not reflected on scoreboard results there is always an element of frustration," said Schmidt, who has won six and lost six since taking over at the start of the year.
His matchday squad has just 738 caps comparted to the hosts’ 1,111, and there are six changes to their starting XV, with James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams and Fraser McReight coming in to the pack, while Max Jorgensen starts on the wing.
The 59-year-old would dearly love to win in Dublin but his brief is making the Wallabies competitive for next summer. He knows he’ll ultimately be judged on that, not wins over Wales and England, as memorable as they were.
This is a team in transition and performance and progress is more important than a result for them.
While Farrell has made a big call with the retention of Sam Prendergast at out-half over Jack Crowley, you could be forgiven, going by some sections of the Internet, for thinking that the Munster man has been exiled, never to be seen again.
What’s actually happened is that Farrell knows he has a Six Nations-winning out-half at his disposal, and wants to see how a burgeoning, exciting talent like Prendergast runs a week and fronts up against a tier one opposition, before, say, throwing him in against England on the opening day of the championship with just 90 minutes of international rugby, 70 of them against Fiji, under his belt.
"The opportunity to play in a big game along with a good side behind him," explained Farrell.
"Jack's played very well for us for a good while now, played in a lot of big games as well, so we know...what we've got."
Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw looked the part last weekend so there was no decision to be made at centre, while Hugo Keenan comes back in for the injured Jamie Osborne at full-back.
Jamison Gibson-Park returns at scrum-half with Craig Casey’s excellent outing last Saturday earning him a place in the squad, while James Lowe is back on the wing.
Tadhg Beirne, whose best games seem to come from second row, is moved to the back row to make room for James Ryan and Joe McCarthy.
"The two second row lads haven't been doing too bad neither, so the balance of the squad is probably the main thing," said Farrell. "We know that Tadhg can play very well in both positions."
Gus McCarthy is the back-up to Rónan Kelleher after a brilliant debut last weekend, while Peter O’Mahony is the back row cover.
The game will see Cian Healy becoming the country’s all-time record caps holder.
The front row forward will hit 134 when he comes on, taking the record off Ireland’s greatest ever player Brian O’Driscoll.
The hosts are 14-point favourites but it’s a tag, especially against tier one sides, that has never sat easily.
Recent games against England, New Zealand, and two years ago in the 13-10 win over Australia, have seen Ireland jam up when, on paper, they have been the better, in-form side.
It’s almost as if the opposition’s traditional reputation gets into the heads of the players and they pay too much respect to the crest.
It would be a fitting send-off if the players forgot all about that and just played their own game.
The IRFU kicked off their anniversary celebrations with the women's team beating the Wallaroos in Belfast last September and the party looks set to continue today.
Verdict: Ireland
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 (capt).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Tom O'Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
Australia: Tom Wright; Andrew Kellaway, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen; Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt)
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Tane Edmed, Harry Potter.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (ITA)
