Rugby

Match facts ahead of Ireland's clash with Australia on Saturday

IRELAND will look to bounce back after their defeat to New Zealand with an encouraging performance against Australia in their final autumn international of 2016 on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

The Ireland team has injury problems however, and face an Australian side who showed character to narrowly beat Scotland and France, and quality to comfortably defeat Wales.

Here are some facts and statistics to prepare you for the fixture.

Ireland and Australia have met 32 times, with Australia victorious on 21 occasions, Ireland winning 10 and the two sides playing out one draw.

Australia captain Stephen Moore will win his 116th Test cap in Dublin, to draw level with Adam Ashley-Cooper and Nathan Sharpe as the Wallabies’ second-highest appearance-makers.

(Gareth Fuller/PA)

 

Ireland captain Rory Best will win his 100th Test cap, becoming just the fifth Irishman to reach the milestone. Best joins Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara and John Hayes in Ireland’s century club.

Australia are gunning for their fourth-straight victory, which would represent their best winning sequence since landing seven on the bounce to reach the final of the World Cup in 2015.

Wallabies boss Michael Cheika has recalled six senior stars following last weekend’s 25-23 victory over France in Paris.

(Niall Carson/PA)Garry Ringrose will make his first senior-level start at inside centre for Ireland, the 21-year-old winning just his third cap at the Aviva Stadium.Former Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara remains the top scorer for either side in clashes between the two nations, having accumulated 74 points against the Wallabies.Ireland’s largest win over Australia remains the 27-12 victory from 1979, while Australia’s record victory over Ireland stands as the 46-10 thumping in 1999.

(David Davies/PA)

Brian O’Driscoll has made more appearances against Australia, 12, than any other player in Irish Test history.

Ten of Australia’s starting XV featured in their 34-17 Rugby World Cup final defeat to New Zealand in 2015.