History between Ireland and Australia

November 11, 2025
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Ultimate Rugby

Ireland are back in action on Saturday as Australia visit Dublin in their third autumn international.

It has been a mixed start to Ireland's November, with a win over Japan and a loss to New Zealand.

Joe Schmidt's Wallabies, despite winning the last Test of the British and Irish Lions series in July, are on a poor run of form.

Despite that, the two served up a thriller in Dublin last year and many will be hoping for the same again.

What form are Ireland and Australia in?

Ireland finished third in the Six Nations. Despite winning four of their five games, a 15-point defeat by France in Dublin proved costly as with only three bonus points picked up overall, they finished two points behind Les Bleus with England one ahead in second.

With 18 players involved in the Lions' tour to Australia, it was an opportunity for many of those on the fringes to show what they could do as Ireland travelled to Georgia and Portugal in the summer, winning both Tests.

Andy Farrell's side opened their autumn campaign with a loss to the All Blacks in Chicago, but they bounced back with a win over Japan in Dublin last Saturday.

Australia have had a mixed year, to say the least.

The Lions tour was the height of the Wallabies' year, although they lost the series 2-1.

A early win over South Africa in the Rugby Championship was promising, but defeats by Argentina and twice by New Zealand saw them finish in a distant third place.

A narrow win over Japan provided some optimism, but they were convincingly beaten by England, and Italy then stunned the Wallabies on Saturday, which means Australia have lost five of their last six matches.

Past meetings between Ireland and Australia

Ireland and Australia have a historic rivalry, but this will only be the third meeting between the sides since Wallabies boss Schmidt led an Irish tour Down Under.

After a run of two Ireland wins in 19 matches between the sides from 1981 to 2010, the Irish have dominated in the past 15 years with seven victories from nine matches against the Wallabies.

That includes three wins in a row for Ireland, while Australia's last success came in the opening Test of that 2018 series.

Their last meeting was in November last year, when Ireland ran out narrow 22-19 winners in Dublin.

Australia almost spoiled Farrell's leaving party before Lions duty and led by four points, but Gus McCarty's try with seven minutes to play rescued the hosts.

Overall, there have been 38 matches between Ireland and Australia since 1927, and the Wallabies hold over edge with 22 wins compared to 15 for the Irish.