Dan Leavy has a face you don’t want to argue with. Every crease, crevice, and scar speaks of a personality which doesn’t take a backward step, neither physically or metaphorically. 

Andy Farrell is hoping the pain of defeat to Australia will reveal the size of Ireland’s heart for the battles ahead on this tour Down Under.

This group of Irish players has made a habit of rewriting history over the course of the last few seasons, whether it has been beating New Zealand for the first time or recording a rare Grand Slam as they did in Twickenham back in March.

This time last year, David Pocock was working on a farm in his native Zimbabwe, taking a break from rugby and relying on his cousin to text him with Wallabies updates.

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.

Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony has backed fly-half Joey Carbery to take the huge opportunity handed to the 22-year-old when he starts the first Test against Australia on Saturday morning.

Michael Cheika may not have envied Joe Schmidt the task of telling Johnny Sexton he would be watching tomorrow’s kick-off at Suncorp Stadium from the bench but the man who made the call had no hesitation in handing Joey Carbery Ireland’s No. 10 jersey.

Crusaders flanker Peter Samu has been cleared to debut for the Wallabies against Ireland but that good news is offset by the loss of hooker Jordan Uelese to a knee injury, likely for the rest of the season.

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

Eddie Jones was the one Australian everyone wanted to hear from after Ireland dispensed with his England side so seamlessly at Twickenham last week, but it would have been interesting to mine the thoughts of his compatriot Michael Cheika, who was among the 82,062 souls looking on from the stands, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Ireland's Tadhg Furlong has been named among the best rugby players in the world.

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.

The All Blacks juggernaut hit a road bump in the British and Irish Lions series but it should be back to business as usual for the world champions when they take on South Africa, Australia and Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

With three wins, including a first over New Zealand, November has been a hugely encouraging month for Joe Schmidt and Irish rugby in general. So what were the major discussion points?

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

After this momentous win, who knows what this Irish squad is capable of achieving.

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’s back-row strength sets up an epic battle, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Josh van der Flier could have kept mum but that would have meant surrendering to 36 hours or so of mental torture until the inevitable moment when Joe Schmidt stopped the tape and zeroed in on his botched offload deep in the New Zealand 22.

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.

Leigh Halfpenny will make his eagerly-awaited Test match return tomorrow when Wales host opening autumn opponents Australia.

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.

IT HAS been some week for rugby. In a period overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that has put all in France and beyond on high alert, the postponement of Munster’s Champions Cup game in Paris was absolutely necessary.

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.

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

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

Australia number eight David Pocock has invited “legend” David Attenborough to Saturday’s World Cup final against New Zealand at Twickenham.

The odds are stacked against Australia as they head into Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final with arch rivals New Zealand, but coach Michael Cheika is refusing to contemplate defeat.

Scott Fardy was faced with a stark choice when the tsunami hit the coast of Japan in March 2011.

They paid €20m to be ringside in Cardiff yesterday for the collision of Europe’s only two unbeaten contenders and the rewriting of one family’s tragic World Cup story.

Australia yesterday lost Michael Hooper, one of their two star opensides, for Saturday’s Pool A encounter with Wales in London, but blindside flanker Scott Fardy doesn’t give the impression of a guy who will lose sleep over the news.