TADHG FURLONG, JAMIE Osborne, Ryan Baird and Jacob Stockdale have all been ruled out of Ireland’s meeting with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies on Saturday.
Furlong’s absence means the Leinster tighthead will play no part in Ireland’s November internationals as he continues to struggle with a hamstring injury.
Osborne came off the bench against New Zealand and Argentina before starting against Fiji last week, where and impressive display at fullback was cut short due to a leg injury sustained in the first half.
Advertisement
Ulster winger Stockdale also started against Fiji and looked sharp as he won his first cap since August 2023. The 28-year-old was forced off after injuring his hamstring in the second half.
Baird came off the bench against Argentina but only lasted a few minutes before suffering a head injury which subsequently ruled him out of the Fiji game.
Meanwhile, Dave Heffernan, Jack Boyle and Nick Timoney have all been released back to their provinces.
Saturday’s game sees Ireland go up against former head coach Joe Schmidt, who has helped rejuvenate an Australia team which hit worrying lows under Eddie Jones.
Wins against England and Wales had put the Wallabies on course for a November Grand Slam before Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Scotland killed that dream. Yet the signs of improvement have been clear, and Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell hasn’t been surprised by the change of fortunes under Schmidt.
“He’s an excellent coach,” says O’Connell.
“You cannot not work hard in a Joe Schmidt team. You’ll have a plan and you’ll know inside out how to deliver that plan. When you have a team of good, talented players that is half the battle. Be really clear on what your plan is and be really clear on how to deliver that plan, and Joe does that really well.
“You can see with this Australian team flashes of improvement all the time. To go to Twickenham and score as many points as they did, to play the game in the way they did, to keep coming back the way they did shows where their belief and resolve has gotten to.
“There will always be days like Scotland for every team. For us it is a big challenge and part of that is knowing what they bring because Joe has coached us before. We know how clear he can be and that clarity allows players to play with a lot of intent and a lot of physicality so it is a big challenge.”
Furlong, Osborne, Baird and Stockdale all ruled out for Wallabies
TADHG FURLONG, JAMIE Osborne, Ryan Baird and Jacob Stockdale have all been ruled out of Ireland’s meeting with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies on Saturday.
Furlong’s absence means the Leinster tighthead will play no part in Ireland’s November internationals as he continues to struggle with a hamstring injury.
Osborne came off the bench against New Zealand and Argentina before starting against Fiji last week, where and impressive display at fullback was cut short due to a leg injury sustained in the first half.
Ulster winger Stockdale also started against Fiji and looked sharp as he won his first cap since August 2023. The 28-year-old was forced off after injuring his hamstring in the second half.
Baird came off the bench against Argentina but only lasted a few minutes before suffering a head injury which subsequently ruled him out of the Fiji game.
Meanwhile, Dave Heffernan, Jack Boyle and Nick Timoney have all been released back to their provinces.
Saturday’s game sees Ireland go up against former head coach Joe Schmidt, who has helped rejuvenate an Australia team which hit worrying lows under Eddie Jones.
Wins against England and Wales had put the Wallabies on course for a November Grand Slam before Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Scotland killed that dream. Yet the signs of improvement have been clear, and Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell hasn’t been surprised by the change of fortunes under Schmidt.
“He’s an excellent coach,” says O’Connell.
“You cannot not work hard in a Joe Schmidt team. You’ll have a plan and you’ll know inside out how to deliver that plan. When you have a team of good, talented players that is half the battle. Be really clear on what your plan is and be really clear on how to deliver that plan, and Joe does that really well.
“You can see with this Australian team flashes of improvement all the time. To go to Twickenham and score as many points as they did, to play the game in the way they did, to keep coming back the way they did shows where their belief and resolve has gotten to.
“There will always be days like Scotland for every team. For us it is a big challenge and part of that is knowing what they bring because Joe has coached us before. We know how clear he can be and that clarity allows players to play with a lot of intent and a lot of physicality so it is a big challenge.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Injuries Ireland Jacob Stockdale Jamie Osborne Paul O'Connell Rugby ryan baird Tadhg Furlong