Four weeks after a match between England and New Zealand (22-24) which served as an aperitif, the curtain will fall on the autumn tour, this Saturday in Dublin, on the occasion of a final test between Ireland, the second nation in the world, and Australia (8th), in a sold-out Aviva Stadium. The 150th anniversary of the Irish Rugby Union will be honored during this match.
Young fly-half Sam Prendergast (21) retains his place in the Irish XV at the expense of Jack Crowley. The Leinster player made a convincing start against Argentina (22-19) then got his first start against Fiji (52-17), with five successful conversions. He will partner Jamison Gibson-Park to face Australia.
Crowley will take his place on the substitutes’ bench with notably the third row and ex-captain, Peter O’Mahony, and the pillar Cian Healy. If he comes into play, at 37, the latter will become the only record holder for selections with Ireland (134), ahead of Brian O’Driscoll (133). “Cian is a giant of Irish rugby and we are determined to give him the performance he deserves,” said coach Andy Farrell, quoted by the federation.
After this match, Farrell will step aside temporarily to prepare for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia, which he will lead next summer. He will be replaced by defense coach, Simon Easterby, during the next Six Nations Tournament.
Australia, a moribund arrival in Europe, beat England (37-42) and Wales (20-52) before losing against Scotland last weekend at Murrayfield (27-13) .
“We have had a difficult year in which we have grown as a team, and we have the opportunity to take on a new challenge against a united and cohesive Ireland team,” commented the Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt.
The Ireland-Australia match will kick off this Saturday at 4:10 p.m., a match to follow live on BeIN Sports 2.
