Quilter Nations Series: Ireland v Australia

The Ireland Men’s team (sponsored by Vodafone) have won their last four Tests against Australia. However, with Joe Schmidt in town for his final game in charge of the Wallabies in Dublin, Andy Farrell’s side know they will have to deliver a big performance to extend that run.

2025 QUILTER NATIONS SERIES:

Saturday, November 15 –

IRELAND v AUSTRALIA, Aviva Stadium, 8.10pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/TNT Sports/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Sounds/IRFU Live Blog)

Coming To The Match? All You Need To Know For Ireland v Australia

Team News: Caelan Doris will captain Ireland as they welcome Australia to the Aviva Stadium for their second Quilter Nations Series outing, following last weekend’s 41-10 win over Japan.

Head coach Farrell has made nine personnel changes, including the selection of Mack Hansen, who returns from a foot injury, in the full-back position for the first time.

Replacing the injured Jamie Osborne (shoulder), the Connacht star joins Tommy O’Brien, last week’s try-scoring player-of-the-match, and James Lowe in the back-three.

Sam Prendergast comes in at out-half to partner Jamison Gibson-Park, while Ulster powerhouse Stuart McCloskey has overcome a groin injury to start in midfield, with Robbie Henshaw moving to outside centre.

Leinster’s Paddy McCarthy will make his first Test start at loosehead prop, continuing what has been a heady few weeks for the 22-year-old (pictured below). He made his Ireland debut against New Zealand in Chicago, and followed up with a try during the Japan game.

Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong complete the front row, James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne continue together in the engine room, and Jack Conan slots back in at number 8 for Ireland’s penultimate clash of the calendar year.

Blindside flanker Ryan Baird will make his third successive start of this autumn international window, while Doris shifts to the openside. Both Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose both miss out, having been nursing hamstring strains.

The Ireland coaching group has strong options on the bench with Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Nick Timoney, and Connacht captain Cian Prendergast the forward replacements, while Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, and Bundee Aki are the reserve backs.

Looking forward to the visit of Australia, Farrell said: “There’s great respect and familiarity between Ireland and Australia, and Saturday is the latest renewal in a series of matches which have been pretty evenly balanced over the last number of years.

“There has been a good buzz around training this week, and the players are excited about the challenge that awaits.

“For us it’s about putting in an 80-plus minute performance and to try and implement our game-plan in front of what we know will be a vocal home support.”

He added: “Within the Lions tour I hadn’t seen Mack in better form but obviously the foot injury stopped that progress. He’s got the bit between his teeth with regard to what he learnt on that tour, he’s come into the group, got across his work and trained the house down on Tuesday.

“So he has proved to us that he’s up for this and ready and able. Every time Mack has played for us as a winger he has always covered full-back and (been) able to get across the work there, so we get to see that in action.”

Meanwhile, 2025 John Eales medallist Len Ikitau will return to the Wallaby gold against Ireland, reuniting his centre partnership with Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i. They have started together in twelve of Australia’s last 16 Tests.

Head coach Schmidt has made six changes following last week’s disappointing 26-19 defeat to Italy in Udine. Notably, experienced out-half James O’Connor is set to play his first Test in the northern hemisphere since 2021.

O’Connor replaces Carter Gordon who has been ruled out, with NSW Waratahs captain Jake Gordon selected again at scrum half. Max Jorgensen, the 21-year-old full-back, and Filipo Daugunu join Harry Potter in the back-three.

The experienced Allan Ala’alatoa has been added the front row, while Exeter Chiefs’ Tom Hooper shifts to lock with Rob Valetini starting at blindside flanker.

Hooper will partner Western Force skipper Jeremy Williams in the second row, while Fraser McReight, who impressed at the breakdown against Ireland last year, and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson complete the loose forward trio.

“It’s been a tough schedule but we’ve tried to embrace that this week and tried to freshen up at the same time,” admitted Schmidt, who also watched his side lose 25-7 to England in London a fortnight ago.

“It’s another opportunity this Saturday to really challenge ourselves against one of the top teams in the world. I think there’s been some really good glimpses (in Ireland’s play this November).”

On the subject of coaching against Ireland in Dublin, he commented: “I love the stadium, you know, even though it dips away at one end, which was always something that was a bit unusual.

“I have always thought, I know this may sound bizarre, but going past the Sandymount Hotel, I look at all those people having pints and really enjoying themselves, and I’m feeling like I’m in this sardine can of pressure.

“I look out there and think, ‘One day I’m going to get amongst those people and drift into that stadium and enjoy watching a game where I’m not so emotionally hanging off everything that happens’.”

IRELAND: Mack Hansen (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht); Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers RFC/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC/Ulster), James Lowe (Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf FC/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne FC/Munster), Ryan Baird (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College RFC/Leinster) (capt), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Andrew Porter (UCD RFC/Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Nick Timoney (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Cian Prendergast (UCD RFC/Connacht), Craig Casey (Shannon RFC/Munster), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution FC/Munster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians RFC/Connacht).

AUSTRALIA: Max Jorgensen (NSW Waratahs); Filipo Daugunu (Queensland Reds), Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i (NSW Waratahs), Len Ikitau (Exeter Chiefs), Harry Potter (Western Force); James O’Connor (Leicester Tigers), Jake Gordon (NSW Waratahs); Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs), Matt Faessler (Queensland Reds), Allan Ala’alatoa (NSW Waratahs), Jeremy Williams (Western Force), Tom Hooper (Exeter Chiefs), Rob Valetini (ACT Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds) (capt).

Replacements: Billy Pollard (ACT Brumbies), Tom Robertson (Western Force), Zane Nonggorr (Queensland Reds), Nick Frost (ACT Brumbies), Carlo Tizzano (Western Force), Ryan Lonergan (ACT Brumbies), Tane Edmed (NSW Waratahs), Andrew Kellaway (NSW Waratahs).

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Dan Jones (RFU)

Pre-Match Quotes: Caelan Doris (Ireland) –

(With the weather forecast), territory becomes more important, discipline becomes more important, set-piece becomes more important, scoreboard pressure and taking points early, but also the mindset around getting stuck in and enjoying it.

“The way Australia play, they have the ability with their backs to swing together and take opportunities, but also they play similar to France with that tightish game with their forwards pop passing from the breakdown.

“Regardless of the weather, it’s going to be a big focus point for our defence we need to get right. In order to get the result, it’s got to be process-focused, so that is what we are putting our minds towards.

“There were good bits last week at times, especially in the last 20 to 30 minutes, but it’s consistency defensively and what we are trying to do in attack that has to improve this weekend.

“The lineout has misfired a little bit at times over the last couple of weeks, so that’s an area for growth too.”

Angus Bell (Australia) –

(I’ve) been in contact with a fair few of them (Ulster players) and a lot of the players actually have reached out, which has been quite nice and obviously shows just how good of blokes they are.

“But obviously this weekend leading into it, as an Australian, we have one job and that’s to represent the Wallabies and get the win.

“Playing a Test match is the pinnacle of anyone’s career, and there’s no bigger one than playing at the Aviva against Ireland.

“Tadhg Furlong’s been doing it for so long. I was young, 13, 14, 15, while I was watching Tadhg run around, and he was in the Lions at the time too.

“Those two (Furlong and Andrew Porter) are exceptionally strong players, great around the field, understand the shape within the island and their systems.

“Even just against them this year in the Lions, they were both pivotal in their result as well. They’re probably the pinnacle of front row play at the moment.”

Pre-Match Links –

Recent Meetings –

2018: Summer Tour: First Test: Australia 18 Ireland 9, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane; Second Test: Australia 21 Ireland 26, AAMI Park, Melbourne; Third Test: Australia 16 Ireland 20, Allianz Stadium, Sydney

2022: Bank of Ireland Nations Series: Ireland 13 Australia 10, Aviva Stadium

2024: Autumn Nations Series: Ireland 22 Australia 19, Aviva Stadium

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