Jones: Irish won’t stray from their game plan

DRY track or not, the Wallabies aren’t expecting the Irish to stray from the game plan that has seen them win 10 of their past 11 Tests and start throwing the ball around at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

Ireland named David Humphreys at fly-half ahead of Ronan O'Gara, indicating they plan a game based more on field position and their powerful forward pack than running rugby.

Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan said he hoped Perth's rain would clear to provide a preview of the World Cup, starting October, when the sides will again meet in a pool game.

But Australian coach Eddie Jones predicted the visitors would play the same brand of football regardless of conditions.

"We don't expect them to go far away from the game that's put them in such good stead over the last 11 games," Jones said.

With his backline finally settled after rookie centre Morgan Turinui passed a fitness test on strained abdominal muscles yesterday, Jones turned his focus to the battle of the forwards, where northern hemisphere sides

traditionally excel.

"You've got to dominate up front and that's what we will be looking to do," Jones said.

"If we get that we'll be able to create a lot of the space to allow our backs to use the ball, but we can't do that unless we do the work up front."

The Wallaby forwards have spent the past week at their Coffs Harbour camp fine-tuning their set-pieces to match the might of the Irish.

Loosehead prop Bill Young said Ireland scored many of their Six Nations tries through rolling mauls an area the Australians have vowed to improve.

"The last few tours to the northern hemisphere we've realised we've got to pick up in that area if we want to compete with those guys in the set piece area," Young said.

"We're really working hard at that in the camp at the moment to ensure we can do that and hopefully we'll be able to get the upper-hand on Saturday night."

The Irish pack is missing only two players from that which defended so strongly to shut down the Australians in their try-less 19-8 loss in the wet in Dublin last November.

Young missed that game when he flew home for the birth of his son.

The 28-year-old chimed in with two tries during the Super 12 to upstage some of the Australian backs.

He's yet to get across the try-line in his 12 Tests and doesn't expect the drought to break on Saturday night.

"If an opportunity arises, sure, I'd love to have a dart but my focus is really on doing the supposed shit work the clean-out, getting the set pieces right and making some good offensive tackles. So that's what I'm there for and if anything else pops up, that's just a bonus."