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.

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.

Will Genia has praised rival scrum-half Conor Murray’s tactical kicking as the best in the business ahead of Australia’s first Test against Ireland in Brisbane on Saturday.

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

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor believes Leinster must show “defensive energy” if they are to defeat Racing 92 in tomorrow’s European Rugby Champions Cup final in Bilbao.

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.

French giants Stade Francais and Racing 92 will merge next season, forming an “absolute monster” Top 14 Paris super club.

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

Head coach Anthony Foley declared he was prepared to walk away from Munster if he felt he could no longer inspire winning performances from his players.

Munster crashed out of Europe for the second season in succession as they went down to 14-man Stade Francais in the French capital tonight.

The Top 14 champions have had a dismal start to their domestic campaign, and with Leicester and Munster in their opening Champions Cup fixtures, the pressure’s on for coach Gonzalo Quesada.

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

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.

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.

Before looking forward to the inaugural Champions Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday, I feel compelled to examine the implications of an announcement last week that attracted minimal attention on this side of the world.

Nine months. Give or take a few days. That was more or less the time Kitch Christie had to fashion a team of world champions when he took over from Ian McIntosh as Springboks coach in October of 1994.

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

Quade Cooper believes Australia must find a new “identity” under Michael Cheika to move on from the Kurtley Beale saga.

Wales 28 Australia 33

Barbarians 36 Australia 40

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

AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL:

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

The decisive match-ups

Results, not revenge, is Brian O’Driscoll’s motivation as he eyes his final Test against the Wallabies tomorrow.

Whisper it. There’s something special brewing in Irish rugby

Eoin Reddan must produce a performance worthy of scrum-half rival Conor Murray’s expectations against Australia, believes Ireland boss Joe Schmidt.

Eoin Reddan will spearhead Ireland’s quicksilver attacking ambition against Australia after winning the nod at scrum-half ahead of British and Irish Lion Conor Murray.

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

New Australia coach Ewen McKenzie has no concerns over playmaker Quade Cooper’s ability to perform under pressure ahead of his likely Test return against the All Blacks next month.

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.

Australia 16 British and Irish Lions 41

It was just one of those nights for the Wallabies.