Josh van der Flier is tackled by Australia's Josh Nasser. Ben Brady/INPHO

LIVE: Australia v Ireland, Nations Championship

Follow all the action as it happens in Sydney.
5 mins ago TRY! Australia 22 (Lonergan) Ireland 12
7 mins ago TRY! Australia 15 (Canham) Ireland 12
13 mins ago TRY! Australia 10 Ireland 12 (Van der Flier)

27mins: Australia 24 Ireland 12

Prendergast’s pass to Keenan is picked off by Jorgensen and the Wallabies are away. McCloskey chases back hard – think Marcus Smith in Twickenham – but this time doesn’t get back in time as Jorgensen gets the offload inside to Longergan. Conversion is good.

Australia have the bonus point and with less than 30 minutes played Ireland trail by 12.

TRY! Australia 22 (Lonergan) Ireland 12

25mins: Australia 17 Ireland 12

The Wallabies slice Ireland open again and look certain to score, only for Keenan to get back with a brilliant cover on Lonergan.

It only stops the bleeding momentarily. Australia keep possession and keep the pressure on, with lock Josh Canham getting over for the home side’s third.

Gordon converts.

TRY! Australia 15 (Canham) Ireland 12

20mins: Australia 10 Ireland 12

Quality from Ireland. Multiple Australian infringements leads to an Ireland penalty.

Sheehan taps it, and it looks as though he’s going to barrel into the waiting Wallabies defenders. Instead, he whips a quick no-look pass inside to Van der Flier, who slices through. 

Really nice inventive move. This is breathless stuff! Prendergast sends the conversion wide.

TRY! Australia 10 Ireland 12 (Van der Flier)

15mins: Australia 10 Ireland 7

We have a game on our hands here.

Gordon gets his side moving with the linebreak, then it’s moved wide right again. Cian Prendergast is slow to react and Jamie Osborne gets a bit stuck and doesn’t commit as the ball is pushed out to Jock Campbell, who runs in Australia’s second. The conversion is missed again.

TRY! Australia 10 (Campbell) Ireland 7

12mins: Australia 5 Ireland 7

Ireland hit back through Cian Prendergast.

The Connacht man rises to win the ball at the lineout, Ireland maul forward before breaking off. Stuart McCloskey has a hard carry, the ball is recycled, and from a stranding start Prendergast does really well to muscle his way over.

His younger brother, Sam, adds the conversions and Ireland lead.

TRY! Australia 5 Ireland 5 (Cian Prendergast)

6mins: Australia 5 Ireland 0

Ireland almost straight back in it as the Wallabies look shaky off the restart, with Carter Gordon knocking the ball dead, not deliberate, leading to a goal-line drop out.

 

4mins: Australia 0 Ireland 0

What a start for the home side!

Some kick tennis to eased us into this one, before Carter Gordon sends a bomb into the Ireland half. Ireland lose the ball at the lineout, with Harry Wilson applying pressure, and the Wallabies get into the Ireland 22.

Schmidt’s men work their way up with a series of sharp passes, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Max Jorgensen both prominent, before the ball is worked wide to Dylan Pietsch, who gets his side up and running on the scoreboard. The conversion is missed.

TRY! Australia 5 (Pietsch) Ireland 0

Bit of a timing issue with the Ireland anthem. Tadhg Furlong seems to be enjoying it anyway.

Five minute to kick-off, the teams are heading out for the anthems now. Let us know your predictions in the comments.

And here’s a reminder of how Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies line up:

Here’s the updated Ireland team with that Baloucoune/O’Brien change:

Ireland (v Australia):

15.⁠ ⁠Hugo Keenan
14.⁠ ⁠Jimmy O’Brien
13.⁠ ⁠Garry Ringrose
12.⁠ ⁠Stuart McCloskey
11.⁠ ⁠Jamie Osborne
10.⁠ ⁠Sam Prendergast
9.⁠ ⁠Jamison Gibson-Park 

1.⁠ ⁠Tom O’Toole
2.⁠ ⁠Dan Sheehan (captain)
3.⁠ ⁠Tadhg Furlong
4.⁠ ⁠Joe McCarthy
5.⁠ ⁠James Ryan
6.⁠ ⁠Cian Prendergast
7.⁠ ⁠Josh van der Flier
8.⁠ ⁠Jack Conan

Replacements:

16.⁠ ⁠Rónan Kelleher
17.⁠ ⁠Jeremy Loughman
18.⁠ ⁠Thomas Clarkson
19.⁠ ⁠Tadhg Beirne
20.⁠ ⁠Nick Timoney
21.⁠ ⁠Craig Casey
22.⁠ ⁠Ciaran Frawley
23.⁠ ⁠Bundee Aki

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Ireland’s Nations Championship opener against the Wallabies.

Ciarán Kennedy here to bring you all the action as it happens. We can start with some breaking news, with confirmation that Robert Baloucoune has been ruled out with a hamstring problem.

So, with the Ulster man out, Jimmy O’Brien comes straight into Ireland’s starting XV for his 12th cap.

Kick-off in Syndey is at 11.10am Irish time.

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