Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt are here for a game, but before they could talk about that clash at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, there have been some loose ends to tie up.
The IRFU don’t put Farrell up for a press conference when they announce their squad before an international window, so Thursday was the first opportunity since the Six Nations to get the Ireland head coach on the record for the Big Picture questions affecting Irish rugby.
His new four-year contract has since been announced, but we’ve also been eagerly anticipating his thoughts on James Lowe’s departure from Leinster, and how one of Farrell’s most valued players apparently wasn’t similarly valued by the union or his province.
Across town at Double Bay, Schmidt made his best effort to sidestep questions from the Irish media about a potential return to Leinster.
With Leo Cullen departing at the end of next season, and Schmidt set to hand over the Wallabies’ reins to Les Kiss later this month, the timelines add up for Joe to make an emotional return to the province.
He laughed off those questions, suggesting there is already enough of a Schmidt presence there, with his son, Tim, working for Leinster Rugby. However, his remark that he is “very short-term-focused”, was pointed. He’s certainly not out of the running.
In between all of that, the two coaches did their best to talk about Saturday night in Sydney, which is something of a farewell tour for Schmidt (below) after two-and-a-half years with the Wallabies.
The former Ireland boss was brought in to clean up the mess left by Eddie Jones after the shambolic 2023 Rugby World Cup, and a succession plan was laid out for Kiss to take over after finishing up with the Queensland Reds this summer.
His Wallabies tenure has had its ups and downs. There have been some morale-boosting and dramatic wins; away victories against England and South Africa have been the high points, and while they were ultimately beaten by the British and Irish Lions in last year’s series, their performance across the second and third Tests did a lot to get an at times indifferent public back onside.
The Lions series, and the following win away to South Africa in Johannesburg, felt like the start of the great Australian fightback ahead of hosting the World Cup in 2027, but a dismal Autumn Nations Series brought them back down to earth.
They lost four out of four in November, including a 26-19 defeat to Italy in Turin, while their defeats to England, Ireland and France came by an average margin of 20 points.
Speaking this week, however, Farrell insisted his former boss has made the Wallabies better.
“From what I hear from the lads who know people within their camp, they’ve loved their time with Joe,” he said.
“Not just how he coaches the side, but how he’s grown Australian rugby as a whole.
“I suppose that was his remit, to hand the baton over in a healthy place, and I’m sure he’ll have a connection there right through to the World Cup, and maybe beyond that, I don’t know.
“I think the same thing will happen, like it happened in Ireland, that people will feel the effects of what Joe’s done for years to come. I suppose that’ll be his legacy to Australian rugby.”
He may have just three more games in the job, but Schmidt isn’t playing it safe with his selections.
He pulled a wildcard this week in selecting Jock Campbell at full-back, with the 31-year-old earning his fifth cap, and his first for four years.
The Queensland Reds man is there on form though, named in the Super Rugby team of the season, scoring three tries and chipping in with 12 points off the tee.
His Reds team-mate Josh Canham is another inexperienced selection, making his first start and winning his third cap at second row, where he partners Jeremy Williams.
With Will Skelton sidelined with injury, it was peculiar to see Schmidt once again leave Lukhan Salakaia-Loto out of his squad, but his decision to drop Nick Frost was also noteworthy after the Brumbies lock had been such a consistent presence in his side last season.
Canham will have to fill that role, and the 6ft 8in lock will be tested.
With Campbell selected at full-back, it allows Schmidt to move Max Jorgensen out to the right wing, and his duel with Jamie Osborne could have a major say on which way this game swings.
With Lowe out of commission and Tommy O’Brien injured, Farrell has gone for the versatile Leinster back as his choice in the 11 shirt, Osborne beating out Jacob Stockdale, Jimmy O’Brien and Zac Ward to a starting spot.
Full-back for Ireland in the Six Nations, and first choice inside centre for Leinster in the business end of the season, Osborne has played on the wing for both province and country before, but his experience out wide has been limited so far in his career.
He had a brief stint for Leinster on the right wing in early 2025 to cover a slew of injuries, and started in the 14 shirt for Ireland against France in last year’s Six Nations, but that 42-27 defeat was his last outing on the wing in Test rugby.
His huge left boot offers Farrell another kicking option, similar to Lowe, and puts another powerful ball carrier and aerial option into the backline. How he copes with Jorgensen’s top-end speed will be something Ireland have to navigate.
That was the only real surprise in Farrell’s matchday squad. The only other mildly surprising call was Cian Prendergast (above) picked ahead of Tadhg Beirne at blindside flanker, although it’s a perfectly logical explanation given how the Connacht captain finished the season, coupled with the fact that the Munster captain is only recently returning from a knee injury which saw him miss the end of the URC campaign.
Tom O’Toole fills the void left by Andrew Porter at loosehead, and while he hasn’t played that position since the Six Nations, his performances on the left side of the scrum during the Six Nations offer reassurance the Irish setpiece should hold up OK against Allen Ala’alatoa, Angus Bell and Josh Nasser.
At out-half, Sam Prendergast makes his first start for Ireland since the opening round of the Six Nations.
The Leinster 10 endured a difficult season where he lost his starting place for both Ireland the province over the course of the campaign, but his form through the URC play-offs, and in particular the final against the Bulls, indicate the 23-year-old has found his confidence once again.
While Farrell and many of this Irish squad will be familiar with their surroundings in Australia after touring with the Lions last year, this will be the first Wallabies-Ireland Test down under since the 2018 series.
Eight years ago, Ireland dropped the opener in Brisbane (above) before coming from behind to take the series with wins in Melbourne and Sydney, although that third Test was played across town at Accor Stadium, rather than this week’s clash at Allianz Stadium, which will also host Ireland’s World Cup opener against Portugal next year.
Those three-Test series now appear to be a thing of the past, as the new Nations Championship puts a tournament structure on the traditional summer and November international windows.
Ireland will stay in Sydney for another few days after this game, before travelling a couple of hours north to Newcastle for next week’s meeting with Japan, and then heading to Auckland to face the All Blacks, where they will be looking to end New Zealand’s 32-year unbeaten run at Eden Park.
And if they have designs on challenging for the inaugural Nations Champions title later this month, they will realistically need to be heading across the Tasman Sea later this month with two wins from two.
Verdict: Ireland
Australia: Jock Campbell; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan; Angus Bell, Josh Nasser, Allan Alaalatoa; Jeremy Williams, Josh Canham; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Tom Wright.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Rob Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, Ciarán Frawley, Bundee Aki.
Referee: Ben O’Keefe (NZRU)
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