Ireland captain Dion O'Cuinneagain is poised to follow his predecessor Paddy Johns in quitting the English Premiership this year.

O'Cuinneagain, who leads Ireland against Australia at Ballymore tomorrow, has agreed to a settlement sum with Sale after the struggling Cheshire club transfer-listed him.

Although the Cape Town-born flanker is considering offers from two London Premiership teams - extinction-threatened Richmond also made an audacious bid for his services - Irish provincial rugby beckons.

Ex-Saracens lock Johns will play for European champions Ulster and club side Dungannon next season, while 27-year-old O'Cuinneagain is also targeting the Emerald Isle. "I am a free agent now. I had a two-year deal with Sale which they felt they couldn't honour, and we agreed on a settlement pay-out," he said.

"Playing in Ireland is a definite option for me. Now that I am captain I think it would make sense to play my rugby in Ireland, especially given the performances of sides like Ulster in last season's European Cup."

Despite uncertainty towards the end of the domestic season with Sale, O'Cuinneagain had Ireland's tour of Australia to concentrate on. Ireland have not beaten Australia since 1979 and approach the Lansdowne Cup series in Brisbane this weekend and Perth on Saturday week following an erratic Five Nations Championship campaign.

But Australian captain David Wilson, whose Wallabies kick off their World Cup year without John Eales, Stephen Larkham and Matt Burke, is urging caution.

Speaking at yesterday's Lansdowne Cup launch in a Brisbane city centre Irish pub alongside his opposite number O'Cuinneagain, he said statements about the Australians thrashing Ireland were a touch premature.

"Saturday will be our first Test match of 1999, and we've a lot of new combinations in the side, whereas Ireland have been together for a while now.

"I expect a very difficult game, especially as ground conditions look like being pretty heavy."

The predicted heavy surface after several days of rain in Brisbane will undoubtedly suit an Irish pack once again relying on warhorses like Johns, Keith Wood and Paul Wallace.