Nations Championship begins with Wallabies facing Ireland at Allianz Stadium

The Nations Championship opens this weekend with twelve nations divided into two groups. Australia will play Ireland on Saturday at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, then France the following week in Brisbane and Italy on July 18 in Perth. The Wallabies will travel north in November for matches against England, Scotland and Wales.

The final weekend features a series of knockout games at Twickenham, beginning with sixth-placed teams from each hemisphere and ending with a championship match between the top two sides.

Tournament structure Each participating nation will play six matches.

Japan, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, South Africa, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, Argentina and France have all agreed to take part. Organizers aligned domestic club calendars to make the additional fixtures possible.

Australian preparation Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will lead the team for its final three Tests before handing over to Les Kiss. Several players returning from European seasons are expected to provide insight into the July opponents. Officials have left one experienced lock out of the squad for the opening matches. The decision highlights the narrow margin for selection at Test level.

Opening match context Ireland defeated the Wallabies in four Tests last November.

Australia enters Saturday's match at Allianz Stadium as underdogs but will play before a sold-out crowd. Michael Hooper, who played 125 Tests and captained Australia 69 times, said the tournament will give fans a clearer view of each nation's readiness for the World Cup.