Joe Schmidt has turned to Niall Scannell as the hooker to tighten up Ireland’s scrummaging power for the must-win second Test against Australia at AAMI Park tomorrow morning.

Australia 18 Ireland 9

All good things come to an end and for Rob Kearney, losing for the first time in 15 months and 13 Tests may be no bad thing for a core of this Ireland squad so accustomed to winning.

Joe Schmidt was left to rue “skinny” margins as his Ireland side experienced defeat for the first time in 15 months.

If Ireland were under any illusions about how tough the defensive challenge that awaits them at Suncorp Stadium this morning will be in this opening Test against Australia, then listening to Wallabies captain Michael Hooper yesterday will have removed any doubt.

There will be no sentiment when Australia fly-half Bernard Foley locks horns once again with Ireland on Saturday bidding for a first victory over the old country at the third attempt.

ACT Brumbies back row Pete Samu is the standout absentee from Michael Cheika’s Wallabies squad — which features five uncapped players — to face Ireland in the forthcoming June Test series

Connacht defence coach Pete Wilkins believes the province can keep their PRO14 season alive with a second away win of the competition against Ospreys this weekend.

New Zealand trounced Argentina as they retained the Rugby Championship with two games to spare.

Australia claimed their first win of the 2017 Rugby Championship as they beat Argentina 45-20 in Canberra.

New Zealand defeated Australia for the second time in eight days but had to hit hit back from 17-0 down and needed a last-gasp try from Beauden Barrett to triumph 35-29 in Dunedin.

Brendan O’Brien picks out the major turning points from Ireland’s battling win.

Ireland 27 Australia 24: You would forgive Ireland rugby manager, Joe Schmidt, if he sank into a fireside armchair, put his feet up, and stayed there for a few weeks to reflect on a job well done during an incredible month of Test rugby.

You can picture the scene at half-time. Organised chaos.

World Rugby’s head of referees Alain Rolland can expect a busy inbox this morning when he logs on for work after another weekend of concerns about the standards of Test officiating.

Ireland have won three out of their four Tests in the Series.

Joe Schmidt believes the intervention of World Rugby referees’ chief Alain Rolland will help prevent a repeat of the controversies that marred Ireland’s rematch with New Zealand last weekend.

Australia coach Michael Cheika has rested most of his top names for tomorrow’s clash with France as the test is the only one on the tour that is not part of the Wallabies’ grand slam bid.

Australia have beaten Scotland 23-22 in their international match at Murrayfield.

Australia cruised to a 12th successive victory over woeful Wales as they ran their hosts ragged at the Principality Stadium.

Donegal cousins Declan Boyle and Brian Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC) blitzed the opposition in the Martin Howley Donegal Harvest Rally in Killybegs, the final round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Australia beat South Africa 23-17 in wet Brisbane to earn their first win in this year's Rugby Championship.

Israel Dagg scored two first-half tries as New Zealand made it back-to-back wins over defending champions Australia in the Rugby Championship.

The final score was embarrassing for the Wallabies.

Mavericks. Square pegs for round holes, the luxuries coaches feel they cannot afford. Most team sports have them, a Matt Le Tissier who can delight supporters with his skills but infuriate managers with the risks that inevitably come attached.

Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw risked re-living the Dark Blues’ painful World Cup exit by watching a re-run of the controversial defeat to Australia — but instead came away with a new sense of hope.

Michael Cheika says he’s just getting started, as he prepares to set the Wallabies up for Rugby World Cup success in Japan in 2019.

Halloween. A long and spooky evening is in store for Australia, it seems.

It’s been said that most Rugby World Cup finals have been dour, boring affairs, and there’s good reason for that, but I think we could be looking at the exception to the rule this weekend, writes Ronan O’Gara

Welshman Nigel Owens has been appointed to referee Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham, with Ireland’s John Lacey taking charge of the bronze medal match between South Africa and Argentina.

Michael Cheika is just 80 minutes away from completing the coaching miracle of the professional era after guiding Australia to the World Cup final last night.

Aiming to win the Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally for an unprecedented fourth time, Daragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta WRC) heads a close-to- capacity entry for what is the final counter in the Tritons Showers National Rally Championship and the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 series.

Scotland are reeling from the injustice of being denied a place in the World Cup semi-finals by Craig Joubert after the South African referee awarded Australia an incorrect last-gasp penalty.

Previous World Cups, in soccer and in rugby, have demonstrated the dangers of bigging up teams during the pool stages, but Michael Cheika and the Wallabies have certainly earned the praise.

London rush hour, Monday morning. As London bustles, the Wallabies step softly into their working week which, for Bernard Foley and a handful of his mates, started with an early, low-key chat with the press at their Westminster team base.