Test dates confirmed by IRFU

The Irish Rugby Football Union last night confirmed its 2006 summer tour schedule in which the Irish team will play New Zealand twice and Australia once on the trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

Eddie O'Sullivan's side will play their first game against Australia on Saturday, June 10 and will follow this with two clashes against the All Blacks on June 17 and 24.

The venues for each Test are yet to be confirmed.

Ireland have already been pencilled in to face New Zealand, Australia and Romania in the autumn Tests this November.

Ireland have played Australia three times since 2002, the year of the famous 18-9 Lansdowne Road defeat of the Aussies.

The sides' last meeting came at the 2003 World Cup where O'Sullivan's charges were agonisingly edged 17-16.

Ireland last chalked up a win on Australian soil when Ollie Campbell landed a penalty and two drop goals for a 9-3 second Test win on the 1979 tour Down Under.

An Irish side last visited New Zealand in 2002 when the tourists were defeated twice 15-6 in Dunedin and 40-8 in the second Test in Auckland.

Ireland have never defeated the All Blacks and their best result came in a 10-10 draw at Lansdowne Road in 1973.

Fly-half Barry McGann kicked a penalty in either half, while winger Tom Grace scored a second half try for the Tom Kiernan-skippered Irish.

Test Match dates are as follows:

June 10, 2006: Australia v Ireland, venue tbc.

June 17, 2006: New Zealand v Ireland, venue tbc.

June 24, 2006: New Zealand v Ireland, venue tbc.