Ireland signed off from their Grand Slam season with one last high as they edged a tense decider 20-16 in Sydney to claim a first series win in Australia since 1979.

Michael Cheika made two changes to Australia’s starting side for the final game of the series with Ireland as he announced his Wallabies matchday squad on his old stomping ground at Randwick yesterday.

High stakes, high tempo, and an even higher intensity to what has gone before. Joe Schmidt has told his Ireland team of Grand Slam winners they will need to deliver their best performance of the season tomorrow if they are to end the campaign with a series victory over Australia.

It is the exhaustive work required to secure those points, with tries even harder to come by, that leave Ireland exposed, says Donal Lenihan.

Three key areas Ireland need to address to keep series alive, writes Donal Lenihan

It is difficult to imagine Ireland’s season being remembered as anything but an unheralded success after a Six Nations Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam was secured on the back a 12-Test winning run.

Australia 18 Ireland 9

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.

Will Genia has learned to his cost the dangers of underestimating Ireland and the Australia scrum-half believes the next generation of Wallabies are at no risk of making the same mistake as he did at the 2011 World Cup.

Time and again, Leo Cullen has teed up a Champions League tie as a meeting of opposites.

Joe Schmidt was under no illusions as he surveyed the fast-approaching 2018 Six Nations Championship.

England claimed a fifth straight win over Australia in a titanic, and controversial, tussle at Twickenham.

Weekend review

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.

Elite sport holds no respect for age.

Simon Lewis on the key gamebreakers in the four Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Having scored 73 tries in 18 Aviva Premiership matches and conceded 49, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that Wasps are being labelled as rugby’s answer to Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers.

The level of conversation between players after matches is minimal at the best of times and even less so in these December double dates, but a snippet of information picked up by Connacht after Sunday’s 32-17 loss to Wasps has been thrown about the changing room in the Sportsground quite a bit this week.

It is a list so illustrious, you don’t even have to use their first names.

Ronan O’Gara analyses all the big issues at the Rugby World Cup.

An hour has passed since the last act and yet the beads of sweat still pop off Mike Ross’s temple like popcorn in a microwave.

Ireland 26 Australia 23

Dimestore wisdom says it’s better to be talked about than not, but the dwindling levels of chatter about Robbie Henshaw this last few weeks is testament to the seamless manner in which the youngster has slotted in to Joe Schmidt’s midfield.

Ireland fended off a relentless late onslaught to grind past Australia 26-23, despite being outscored three tries to two in Dublin.

Michael Cheika thought twice before allowing his Wallabies wander down Killiney Hill and into Dalkey village on Tuesday evening.

Despite all the upheaval, history has shown the Aussies are a resilient bunch.

On another day, Jake Schatz would have been a great story.

I met Michael Cheika for the first time in 2005.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt said Ireland faced a tough task preparing for next week’s match aginst Australia, especially as the side has a new manager.

Kurtley Beale will join the Australia squad on Sunday ahead of next week’s Test match against Ireland.

Maintaining mental fitness requires work and skill development in the same way as maintaining our physical fitness does.

Nick Cummins apologises as he momentarily loses his train of thought while discussing lining up for the Barbarians against Australia, the country of his birth, at Twickenham on Saturday.

Rob Howley expects Wales to face Australia’s tried and tested quality when the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool rivals clash in Cardiff next week.

Argentina 21 Australia 17

Australia 24 South Africa 23

Australia foiled New Zealand’s bid to win an historic 18th consecutive Test as the Bledisloe Cup rivals played out a 12-12 stalemate at the ANZ Stadium.

Coach Ewen McKenzie knows Australia must take risks if they are to end New Zealand’s 17-game winning streak on Saturday, and hopes the surprise selection of Kurtley Beale at fly-half will provide the spark in their Rugby Championship clash in Sydney.

Australian sport is going through a rough time at present, something an ultra-competitive, sports-mad nation is finding difficult to come to terms with.