Australia vs. Ireland - prediction, team news, lineups

Australia invited Ireland to Sydney Football Stadium connected Saturday greeting for the opening circular of the inaugural Nations Championship tournament.

In their erstwhile outing, the Wallabies fell to a 48-33 nonaccomplishment against France successful Paris, portion the Boys successful Green dispatched Scotland 43-21 astatine the Aviva Stadium.

Match preview

Since crashing retired astatine the radical signifier successful the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Australia person been hugely disappointing and person slumped to eighth spot successful the World Rugby rankings.

Winning lone 3 of their erstwhile 12 Rugby Championship matches, the Wallabies person recovered themselves acold down the gait of some New Zealand and the Springboks, trailing the eventual champion by astatine slightest 8 points successful each of the erstwhile 2 tourney editions.

In their different caller competitory outings, Joe Schmidt’s men fell to a 2-1 bid decision against the 2025 British & Irish Lions, losing successful some Brisbane and Melbourne earlier claiming a 22-12 consolation triumph successful Sydney.

Australia haven’t fared good successful affable matches either, losing each of their erstwhile 4 outings and falling to each Six Nations broadside barring Wales successful their latest 8 non-competitive fixtures.

Unfortunately for Schmidt’s side, their caller grounds against Ireland is dismal too, with the Wallabies losing each of their erstwhile 5 against Andy Farrell’s men and their past triumph coming erstwhile these sides met successful Brisbane 8 years ago.

Despite agonisingly missing retired connected the Six Nations crown connected the last time successful March, Ireland person been connected apical signifier precocious and presently beryllium 3rd successful the World Rugby rankings heading into the Nations Championship.

Farrell’s men were convincingly beaten astatine the Stade de France connected the opening play of this year’s tournament, but responded well, winning their remaining 4 fixtures to bring them seconds distant from snatching backmost the Six Nations rubric from France.

Although they were 46-19 victors against the Wallabies successful November, Ireland volition beryllium somewhat acrophobic heading into the Nations Championship by their grounds against the Southern Hemisphere’s champion sides.

The Boys successful Green hosted some South Africa and New Zealand successful their 2025 Autumn Internationals, scoring a combined 26 aft the 2 matches and falling to decision by implicit 10 points successful each contest.

However, Ireland volition nary uncertainty beryllium afloat of assurance arsenic they question to Sydney to look a struggling Australia outfit who they person beaten successful each of their erstwhile 2 meetings down under.

Australia form:

Ireland form:

Team News

After astir 3 years distant from the nationalist side, Jock Campbell returns astatine full-back for Australia this weekend, completing a backmost 3 alongside Max Jorgensen and Dylan Pietsch.

Following a beardown decorativeness to the play with the Exeter Chiefs, Len Ikitau starts arsenic expected astatine inside-centre, partnering Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii successful the midfield.

Angus Bell starts astatine loosehead-prop for the Wallabies and volition look immoderate of his erstwhile teammates connected Saturday aft returning from an eight-month spell with Ulster, portion Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight and skipper Harry Wilson marque up the hosts' back-row.

Announcing his exit from Irish giants Leinster past month, the visitors volition beryllium without prima winger James Lowe, who has signed for Japanese broadside Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.

In his place, Jamie Osborne volition deterioration the fig 11 shirt, portion Sam Prendergast is rewarded for his promising decorativeness to the United Rugby Championship run and volition commencement successful the lack of the injured Jack Crowley astatine fly-half.

The visitors volition beryllium without skipper Caelan Doris this weekend, giving Cian Prendergast the accidental to impressment astatine blind-side flanker, with Tom O'Toole besides getting the motion arsenic loosehead prop alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong connected the beforehand row.

Australia starting lineup:

15 Jock Campbell, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Ryan Lonergan; 1 Angus Bell, 2 Josh Nasser, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Jeremy Williams, 5 Josh Canham, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson

Replacements:

16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Tom Hooper, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Tom Wright

Ireland starting lineup:

15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jamie Osborne, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Tom O'Toole, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 James Ryan, 6 Cian Prendergast, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Jack Conan

Replacements:

16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Nick Timoney, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Bundee Aki

We say: Australia 22-34 Ireland

Whilst the hosts are not presently firing connected each cylinders, travelling to Sydney volition inactive beryllium nary casual feat for Ireland, who volition person to beryllium connected apical of their crippled to assertion a convincing victory.

Unfortunately for the Wallabies, we deliberation that the visitors volition bash conscionable that, having excessively overmuch prime and putting connected an awesome attacking show to statesman their run with maximum points.