​Familiar foes Australia and Ireland meet again on the opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship in Sydney. This Test, followed by fixtures against France and Italy, will serve as a farewell for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who is due to hand the reins to Les Kiss later this year. Schmidt will also hope to outwit a former colleague in Andy Farrell, who helped Ireland as an assistant before taking the top job, and who picked up a win over his old boss in last year’s British and Irish Lions series. With Ireland dealing with a spate of injuries, Australia could be eyeing a meaningful victory as both teams prepare for a home Rugby World Cup in 2027. Here is everything you need to know.
When is Australia vs Ireland? The match is scheduled to kick off at 11:10am BST on Saturday 4 July at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. How can I watch it? In the United Kingdom, the game will be shown live on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 10:30am BST. A live stream will be available on ITVX, and ITV will broadcast every Nations Championship game across July and November.
Team news: Australia will give Jock Campbell his first international since 2020, lining him up in a back three that also includes Max Jorgensen and Dylan Pietsch. Josh Canham partners Jeremy Williams in the second row, with Lachlan Shaw set for a debut off the bench. James Slipper is named among the replacements, returning from retirement to win his 152nd cap after issues with loosehead injury.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Josh Nasser, 3 Allan Alaalatoa; 4 Jeremy Williams, 5 Josh Canham, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.), 9 Ryan Lonergan, 10 Carter Gordon; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen, 15 Jock Campbell. 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 team news: Sam Prendergast is given the No. 10 duties in the absence of the injured Jack Crowley, with Dan Sheehan captaining the side and Caelan Doris unavailable. Jamie Osborne showcases his versatility as he starts on the wing. Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, and Bundee Aki provide experienced depth on the bench, while Nick Timoney looks to build on his solid Six Nations form.
Ireland XV: 1 Tom O’Toole, 2 Dan Sheehan (capt.), 3 Tadhg Furlong; 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 James Ryan; 6 Cian Prendergast, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Jack Conan; 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 10 Sam Prendergast; 11 Jamie Osborne, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 13 Garry Ringrose, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 15 Hugo Keenan. Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Nick Timoney; 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Bundee Aki.