Source :- THE AGE NEWS
The team list of Ireland below has one change, Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune is out with a hamstring injury on the right wing and is replaced by Leinster’s utility back Jimmy O’Brien.
A big loss for Ireland given Baloucoune’s huge speed.
Five-eighth Sam Prendergast will be under pressure to deliver as a starting Test player after facing sustained criticism back in Ireland.
The major selection discussion is fullback with Jock Campbell breaking four years in the Test wilderness, his form has been rewarded.
Last November, the Wallabies lineout fell apart in Dublin, losing six throws, so there will be a lot of pressure on the young second rowers in Jeremy Williams and Josh Canham.
The Wallabies have new halves in Carter Gordon and Ryan Lonergan, with Lonergan likely to take the kicking tee.
There is a real sense of the unknown about the Wallabies tonight. The good money about the game is that Ireland will be too strong and too classy for an Australian outfit that hasn’t started seasons all that convincingly.
Ireland’s calling card is ruthless consistency, both in the physical contest and in smart play making that sets up and exposes a rival’s weakness.
The Wallabies? Their most consistent feature is inconsistency. They showed last year they have the ability to play outstanding footy, and they took on and took down some giants in the Lions and South Africa.
But they mostly did things the hard way, giving up early leads and then fighting back. Sometimes that worked, other times it didn’t.
They appeared to fix that problem on the Spring Tour, but went to the other extreme. They played well in the first 40 and fell apart in the second.
The last time the Wallabies played Ireland in November was a painful 27-point defeat in the pouring rain of Dublin.
Canberra native Mack Hansen reminded the Wallabies of what they were missing and scored a hat-trick from full-back.
There can be no excuses about fatigue now in July, the Wallabies are fresh, helped by the Reds and Brumbies falling at the quarter-finals in Super Rugby.
The Wallabies will also be desperate to send coach Joe Schmidt off on a high in his final Test in Sydney.
The four defeats against England, France, Italy and tonight’s opponents Ireland from last November are almost a distant memory.
We are back, it’s a new Test season and the Wallabies are kicking off against the Irish at Allianz Stadium.
I’m Jonathan Drennan and I will be taking you through tonight’s action in tandem with Iain Payten, who will be providing expert insights alongside me.
Tonight is a sell-out in Sydney, the weather is perfect and I cannot wait for it.
