Ireland coach Andy Farrell has announced the 23-man squad for the upcoming Nations Championship match against Australia at Allianz Stadium. The team features a strong contingent from Leinster, with 11 starters and three additional players on the bench hailing from the province. The match is scheduled for Saturday, 4 July, 2026, with kick-off at 20:10 local Sydney time.
In a significant selection, Sam Prendergast has been named as the starting fly-half. Prendergast, who recently led Leinster’s United Rugby Championship title defence, will make his first start for Ireland in the number 10 jersey. He will be partnered in the halves by clubmate Jamison Gibson-Park. This decision comes after Prendergast was displaced at out-half for the final three rounds of the 2026 Six Nations, with Jack Crowley finishing that campaign. Crowley, however, has not travelled to Australia due to injury.
Key Player Selections and Returns
The absence of regular skipper Caelan Doris sees hooker Dan Sheehan taking on the captaincy role for this sold-out fixture. Sheehan will lead the team from the front row, flanked by loosehead Tom O’Toole and tighthead Tadhg Furlong. O’Toole’s selection at loosehead is notable, as all 15 of his starts for Ulster this season were at tighthead. However, he impressed in Ireland’s final two Six Nations matches on the opposite side of the scrum. The second row will feature Joe McCarthy and James Ryan.
In the back row, Jack Conan is set to earn his 60th cap for Ireland at number eight, alongside Josh van der Flier at openside flanker and Cian Prendergast at blindside flanker. Cian Prendergast, who had just one start in the Six Nations, joins his brother Sam in the starting lineup. The midfield combination sees Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose named as the starting centres. Hugo Keenan will play at full-back, with Rob Baloucoune and Jamie Osborne on the wings.
Osborne steps into the number 11 jersey, filling the void left by James Lowe, who confirmed his departure from Ireland after failing to agree to a new deal with the IRFU and Leinster. The bench includes a 5-3 split, with Rónan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, and Thomas Clarkson providing front row cover. A significant return to the squad is Tadhg Beirne, who is named among the replacements. Beirne makes a timely comeback after recovering from a knee injury sustained 10 weeks ago in Munster’s victory over Ulster. He was previously named player of the series for the British and Irish Lions in Australia 12 months prior.
Squad Depth and Upcoming Fixtures
Further depth on the bench includes Nick Timoney, Craig Casey at scrum-half, and the versatile Ciaran Frawley, who can cover fly-half, centre, and full-back from the number 22 jersey. Bundee Aki completes the matchday 23 for the Nations Championship opener. This squad is preparing for a three-match tour, which also includes Tests against Japan and New Zealand, following their strong Six Nations campaign where they finished runner-up to France.
The team will be looking to continue their recent success against Australia, having won their last five matches against them dating back to 2018. Their most recent victory was a 46-19 win in Dublin last year. The match officials for the game against Australia include referee Ben O’Keeffe from NZR, with assistant referees Karl Dickson from RFU and Andrea Piardi from FIR. The Television Match Official (TMO) will be Matteo Liperini from FIR, and the FPRO will be Glenn Newman from NZR.
Source: planetrugby.com
