Ireland v Australia | Saturday 15 November | Aviva Stadium
The student had the upper hand during the Lions series, with Farrell guiding the combined side to a 2–1 victory.
Now, as Schmidt returns to his old stomping ground, the question looms, will Ireland’s current head coach enjoy another triumph, or will the master conjure one last victory in Dublin?
Australia’s northern tour went from bad to worse, as the Wallabies slumped to a 26–19 defeat against Italy, just a week after a 25–7 loss to England at Twickenham.
Ill-discipline and a few familiar faces proved costly once again, with Monty Ioane and Lewis Lynagh both crossing for second half tries to sink the visitors. A yellow card to centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with the scores level at 19–19 turned out to be pivotal, as Ioane struck while the Wallabies were down to 14 men.
An understrength Australian side had actually shown plenty of fight up until the final half-hour, leading 12–19 with 24 minutes to play. But fatigue crept in, and the Azzurri took full control of the closing stages.
There is at least a glimmer of good news for Wallabies fans: veteran playmaker James O’Connor has rejoined the squad and could provide some much-needed composure. However, giant lock Will Skelton has been ruled out after sustaining an ankle injury for La Rochelle last weekend.
Ireland, meanwhile, bounced back strongly in their second Autumn International, following up a 13–26 defeat to New Zealand with a comfortable 41–10 victory over Japan. While far from flawless, Andy Farrell’s men unearthed some promising performances from their younger ranks. Hooker Gus McCarthy impressed with a well-taken try, and with Ronan Kelleher’s lineout struggles continuing, McCarthy may soon climb the pecking order.
It’s a mixed picture on the injury front for Ireland: Jamie Osborne is ruled out, while Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier remain doubts. On the brighter side, winger Mack Hansen is fit again after recovering from a foot injury.
Verdict: Australia (+)
Neither side is firing on all cylinders, and this clash at the Aviva has all the makings of a gritty, hard-fought contest. Expect a battle and back the Wallabies to keep it close.