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Wallabies open Nations Championship against Ireland in Sydney
Australia hosts Ireland in the first match of the new Nations Championship at a sold-out Sydney Football Stadium. The Lansdowne Cup is also on the line in the opening round of the Southern Series.
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
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Australia faces Ireland in Sydney on Saturday evening in the opening match of the Nations Championship. The fixture also decides the Lansdowne Cup between the two sides. The Wallabies named a 23-player squad that includes Jock Campbell at fullback and Harry Wilson as captain. Ireland listed Dan Sheehan as captain and named a bench that includes Bundee Aki.
format The tournament places six Southern Hemisphere teams against six Northern Hemisphere teams across six rounds. Three rounds occur in July and three in November, followed by a finals weekend at Twickenham. Points are awarded for wins, draws, and bonus points for scoring four tries or losing by seven points or fewer. The top team from each hemisphere group will contest the final.
Match schedule and squads The Wallabies open against Ireland at 8:10pm AEST, followed by France in Brisbane on July 11 and Italy in Perth on July 18. Ireland listed reserves that include Rónan Kelleher and Tadhg Beirne. Australia listed reserves that include James Slipper and Taniela Tupou.
The Wallabies have not started recent seasons with consistent results, while Ireland has maintained strong form in both attack and defense. " — Nations Championship website, July 2026 (ABC) The crowd at Allianz Stadium wore gold novelty hats supplied by Rugby Australia.
Robert Baloucoune was ruled out for Ireland, with Jimmy O’Brien named as his replacement on the wing.
