Gloucester 17 Stade Francais 25: Gloucester let an early 10-point lead slip to go down to Stade Francais at BT Murrayfield as they failed to impose themselves in the European Challenge Cup final.

Samu Kerevi's two-try brace drove Australia to 33-21 Rugby Championship victory over Argentina at Twickenham, to ease pressure on boss Michael Cheika.

Australia 63 Uruguay 3: Australia head coach Michael Cheika has refused to stoke the fires of controversy ahead of an anticipated titanic World Cup tussle with England.

Scrum-half Will Genia will make his first Test start for two months when Australia open their World Cup campaign against Fiji in Cardiff on Wednesday.

A clean sweep from the November Internationals and all looks rosy in the Irish rugby garden.

Australia duo Will Genia and Rob Simmons have revealed the soft and stern sides of former Leinster coach Michael Cheika.

Michael Cheika said the "real physical business" was about to begin for Australia, after they marked the start of their European tour with a dramatic 40-36 win over the Barbarians in his first game as Wallaby coach.

Australia have reunited Quade Cooper and Will Genia at half-back for tomorrow’s non-cap international against the Barbarians at Twickenham.

Devin Toner admits today’s clash with Australia feels like a second Ireland debut.

Peter O’Mahony has come a long way from his first brush with the Wallabies back in 2010.

The decisive match-ups

AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL:

Eoin Reddan could be in line for a recall to the Ireland team to face Australia with head coach Joe Schmidt weighing up whether to relegate Lions scrum-half Conor Murray to the bench for Saturday’s Aviva Stadium Test.

Australia bounced back from their England defeat to record a 50-20 victory over Italy in their second autumn international at the Stadio Olimpico.

Scrum-half Will Genia will return to the starting line-up for Australia’s final Rugby Championship fixture against Argentina in Rosario tomorrow.

Australia 29 New Zealand 47

Agony or ecstasy, there really is nothing in between. So said Warren Gatland an hour after Saturday night’s captivating third Test in Sydney, and how right he is.

It was just one of those nights for the Wallabies.

Australia 16 British and Irish Lions 41

Will Genia will cherish a unique moment in his career when Australia and the British and Irish Lions collide in this morning’s series decider at ANZ Stadium.

The teams for Australia versus British and Irish Lions have been decided.

Will Genia has warned the British and Irish Lions that the best is yet to come from Australia with the rivals ready to decide their drawn series at ANZ Stadium tomorrow.

Warren Gatland and his British and Irish Lions think-tank emerged from their night of the long knives convinced they have a match-day squad to win the third and final Test against Australia on Saturday.

Will Genia is talking tough ahead of today’s crunch second Test with the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne.

Rob Howley today laid bare the levels of bravery and desire that will be required when the British and Irish Lions go for Test series glory against Australia.

Warren Gatland voiced his relief after Australia’s Kurtley Beale missed a penalty with the final kick of the game as the British and Irish Lions opened the Test series with victory in Brisbane.

British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton declared it “half a job done” after his team nicked a 23-21 victory over Australia in Brisbane when Kurtley Beale missed a penalty in the final moments of the game.

Australia have picked James O'Connor at fly-half for Saturday's opening Test against the British and Irish Lions at Suncorp Stadium with Kurtley Beale included on the bench.

He’s been Australia’s “Mr Fix It” for many seasons, but now Wallabies back Adam Ashley-Cooper is ready to face the might of the Lions from his preferred position.

Brian O’Driscoll fully expects to see mercurial out-half Quade Cooper trot out to stare down the Lions in Australia although the prospects of Kurtley Beale doing likewise look less favourable given the Melbourne Rebel has been suspended again.

Gethin Jenkins claims Wales will be a better team for being knocked off “cloud nine” by Australia.

Australia 27 Wales 19

Scotland captain Ross Ford had no hesitation in handing the ball to match-winner Greig Laidlaw before he kicked the last-gasp penalty to secure a memorable 9-6 win over Australia in Newcastle yesterday.

MUNSTER’S new signing Will Chambers has received glowing references from two of his former Queensland Reds team-mates, Will Genia and Digby Ioane.

WALES were left kicking themselves after suffering their third narrow defeat of a World Cup campaign that could easily have seen them contesting tomorrow’s final against New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans was happy with the progress made in the win over the United States, but there was also cause for concern as the Wallabies’ injury toll mounted in Wellington.

Ireland 15 Australia 6

FT: Ireland 15 Australia 6

HT: Ireland 6 Australia 6

Ireland defensive coach Les Kiss has singled out Australia’s half-back pairing of Well Genia and Quade Cooper as the key threats to his side in Saturday’s crucial World Cup Pool C game at Eden Park in Auckland.

THE ODDS are stacked against them and history suggests they haven’t a hope but there is something tangible about Ireland’s demeanour heading into the World Cup Pool C showdown with Australia that suggests something special is on the cards at Eden Park tomorrow morning.

THEY may have just beaten the All Blacks to claim the Tri-Nations championship but Australia’s all-star backline were treating their Irish counterparts with the utmost respect when they faced the media at their team hotel in Auckland city centre yesterday.

ROCKY ELSOM may wear Australia’s colours at Eden Park on Saturday but Denis Leamy credits him for having a profound impact on Ireland’s back row.