Ireland v Australia: Everything you need to know

The Wallabies. Not quite the same fearsome prospect as their great Antipodean rivals, but a devilish one all the same.

32 times Ireland have clashed with Australia, and 10 times the men in green have walked away victorious.

As records against the sourthern hemisphere heavyweights go, that’s not a bad one, and on Saturday Joe Schmidt’s side welcome the Aussies to the Aviva Stadium looking to chalk one more win up.

Both side’s have enjoyed mixed years - with Ireland’s Six Nations campaign and Australia’s Rugby Championship leaving a lot to be desired.

But they have peaked in the autumn - Ireland snotting New Zealand in Chicago and Australia turning over Wales in Cardiff and France in Paris.

For the tourists there’s the carrot of an autumn Grand Slam dangling tantilising in front of their faces, while for Ireland there is the opportunity to complete an unprecedented calendar year hat-trick of wins over the Wallabies, All Blacks and the Springboks.

Add in a packed Aviva Stadium under the floodlights, the crisp lick of the November air, a returning Michael Cheika and chance to end the year on an almighty high - and you've got an epic in the making.

Here is all you need to know about Ireland’s last dance of 2016:

Who? What? Where? When? Why?

Ireland v Australia, the Aviva Stadium, Saturday 5.30pm ko.

Joe Schmidt’s side take on the touring Wallabies in their final Test match of an mammoth year, rounding off the November series.

How can I watch it?

The match is being televised live on RTE 2 as well as Sky Sports 2. If you can’t watch on the box then you will be able to follow every tackle, try and tear shed on the Irish Times liveblog, which will be kicking off at 4.30pm.

Any chance of a late ticket?

Nope. The fixture is a sell-out.

I’ve got a ticket, should I bring my brolly?

Tomorrow is given to be dry and relatively mild for the fag-end off November. Temperatures are forcast to get down to five degrees at night time so put your big coat on.

I fancy a punt, what’s the betting?

It’s pretty even. You can get 5/6 about Ireland to win and 11/10 Australia, with the draw priced at 20/1. The handicap is a point either way and is availabke at even money.

Is Ireland’s favouritism justified?

Arguably, yes. Ireland’s November began with a thrilling, history-making victory over the All Blacks in Chicago. They then went on to thrash Canada - blooding plenty of young guns in the process - before being beaten up by a vengeful New Zealand side last weekend, losing 21-9 at the Aviva Stadium. The real question on Saturday isn’t whether Ireland are good enough to win, it’s more a case of how well they’ve managed to patch themselves up in the wake of that brutal defeat.

So they've got a few injuries?

A couple. Both Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw are missing the Australia game through injury, with Paddy Jackson and Garry Ringrose replacing them in the 10-12 axis. Schmidt has made two other changes, bringing in Iain Henderson and Keith Earls for Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan. There was concern over Sean O'Brien and Jared Payne as both missed Friday's captain's run - but both are likely to be fit.

And Australia are on for the November Grand Slam?

Yep. The Wallabies come to Dublin on the back of a very impressive autumn thus far. They opened their tour with a thrashing of Wales, before edging out Scotland in heart-breaking fashion - bringing back cruel memories of their World Cup quarter-final win last year. Last week an experimental side had just too much for France in Paris, but now they face the two stiffest assignments of their trip with Tests against Ireland and England.

But I thought they were a bit rubbish this year?

Granted, Australia’s results in Test this year make for pretty ugly reading - but they need putting in context. The Wallabies lost their opening five games of the year, three times to England and twice to the All Blacks. Losing at any sport to England - especially in their own backyard - is a disaster for Australia, but they were beaten by a side who have swept all before them this year. The All Blacks defeats were drubbings - 42-8 and 29-9 - but they weren’t the first and they certainly won’t be the last to feel the wrath of Steve Hansen’s side. Two further defeats - away to South Africa and New Zealand - have followed along with wins over the Boks and Argentina twice. They are on an upward curve.

This Michael Cheika bloke looks familiar...

The two coaches running the show on Saturday are the men responsible for Leinster’s golden era, with Schmidt succeeding Cheika in 2010. Cheika spent five years in charge in Dublin, and with him at the helm the province were finally able to stamp their mark on Europe as they lifted the Heineken Cup in 2009. Cheika is one of the good guys, and will get a good reception at the Aviva Stadium.

Is it going to be any good?

All the signs say this will be one of the games of the year between two very well matched sides. It has been a long, arduous campaign for Ireland and Australia but both will see a victory as the perfect way to cap off 2016. Plus, fixtures between the two nations are rarely dull.

Ireland dominated the early years of this relationship, winning six of the first nince encounters, before Australia went on a run of 11 consecutive victories lasting from 1981-2002. During that winning sequence the closest Ireland came tobeating the Wallabies was in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, when they were edged out 19-18 at Lansdowne Road after Gordon Hamilton's score was cruelly cancelled out by Michael Lynagh at the death.

Things have been slightly more even in recent years, with Ireland getting pay back in the pool stages of the 2011 World Cup with a 15-6 win in Auckland. And the last time the Aussies were in town? 26-23 Ireland.