Ireland coach Joe Schmidt makes two changes from the starting fifteen that toppled South Africa.
Gordon D’Arcy and Rory Best will both start Saturday’s clash with Australia at the Aviva Stadium following this afternoon’s team announcement. D’Arcy retains the No.12 jersey he donned against Georgia last week. Jared Payne’s foot injury means he misses out while Robbie Henshaw shuffles over to the more familiar outside centre position.
Best gets the starting nod at hooker ahead of the unfortunate Sean Cronin. The Leinster man is one of Ireland’s form players but Schmidt is keen to give his first-choice hooker a run out during the autumn internationals.
The only other squad change from the group that beat the Springboks 29-15 sees Munster lock Dave Foley on the bench in place of Mike McCarthy, who was concussed in last Sunday’s win over Georgia. Simon Zebo has held off Felix Jones to start on the left wing while Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton are back in tandem as the half-back pairing.
Paul O’Connell returns to the second row to captain Ireland and Rhys Ruddock gets another run at openside flanker.
IRELAND (team to face Australia)
Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Robbie Henshaw, Gordon D’Arcy, Simon Zebo; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray;
Jack McGrath, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Devin Toner, Paul O’Connell (capt); Peter O’Mahony, Rhys Ruddock, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Dave Kilcoyne, Sean Cronin, Rodney Ah You, Dave Foley, Tommy O’Donnell, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Felix Jones.
