Planet Rugby Forum

Ireland tour will test Wallabies' progress under Michael Cheika

Ireland's three-Test Australian tour this June will be a litmus test of the Wallabies' progress under Michael Cheika.

The Australia coach has forecast a humdinger of a series against the Six Nations favourites but wants his side to prove they can play well across the three Tests.

"It will be two very different teams that play the game very different ways," Cheika said.

"You saw that with us and England in 2016, I know the scores didn't go our way that time but I thought we played some pretty good footy in that series, bar the middle game, which wasn't too flash, and that shows. Two on, one off, is not on."

The series will be Ireland's first three-Test tour of Australia and the first time the Lansdowne Cup will be contested as a best-of-three series.

The Joe Schmidt-led side are ranked third in the world and are on top of the Six Nations table with two rounds to go. They also boast a three-from-four win record against the Wallabies since the 2011 World Cup quarter-final, which was the last time an Australian fan took the Irish threat lightly.

Rugby Australia are hoping to pack venues in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney when tickets go on sale on Thursday, with strong pre-sales bolstering hopes.

It is the same day Cheika will fly to Europe to watch Ireland up close in their final two Tests against Scotland and England.

"If they win the Six Nations they'll be second in the world by the time they get here, so it's going to be on," he said.

Australia suffered a humiliating three-nil defeat at the hands of Eddie Jones's England in 2016, but it was the 23-7 loss in Melbourne that stuck in Cheika's craw. He has spent the past two years building back up the squad depth the team lacked the year after the England World Cup.

"I look at our playing stocks now, compared to [the 2016 June series], and I think there's a lot of guys genuinely in the mix now for positions and who can perform," Cheika said.

"If you look at the Reds-Brumbies game last [week], the way Taniela Tupou, Izack Rodda, Adam Korczyk and guys like that played, you start to think they're guys you gave a start too who are doing the business now in Super Rugby."

There will also be players like Jack Dempsey to consider. The abrasive Waratahs flanker started at No.6 in the Wallabies' watershed Bledisloe Test win in Brisbane last year but saw his momentum shattered with a shocking hamstring injury in the Barbarians' game two weeks later.

Dempsey is still eight weeks or so off a return to Super Rugby but has June in his sights. In seven appearances at Test level, two of which saw the Wallabies draw, the 23-year-old has never been involved in a loss.

"I'm not oblivious to the fact I have to prove I am back to where I was before I got injured, I'm not just going to walk into a Wallabies squad and I probably won't walk back into a Waratahs 23," he said.

"But that's part of being a professional rugby player, you have to take the ups with the downs. You can go as high as beating the All Blacks in Brisbane to as low as where I was after that Baa Baas game."

He will face stiff competition from the likes of Michael Hooper and David Pocock, as well as the young guns to which Cheika referred to, including Reds flanker Korczyk.

Schmidt will bring a standout back row to Australia, including Peter O'Mahony, CJ Stander and Sean O'Brien, who is sitting out the Six Nations after hip surgery.

Australian prop Sekope Kepu, who is set to return for the Waratahs in their home game against the Blues next week, said watching the Irish beat Wales, France and Italy to date had whet his appetite for the challenge ahead.

"They've got a lot of guys in their prime and they've got a great forward pack and front row as well, with [hooker] Rory Best and those guys in the middle," Kepu said.

He and Cheika have also been around long enough to know the result in June will throw down a marker for next year's World Cup.

"It's massive," Kepu said. "You've got the series in June, you play the Rugby Championship and then you get another crack at some of those northern hemisphere teams in the spring tour. You go well in the June series and you take a lot of confidence out of that."

Seneca of the Night wrote:Great potential for spite this series.

diarm wrote:Is there any chance we'd leave Murray, Sexton, Best and Furlong at home for this? Those lads have played a hell of a lot of rugby when you consider the Lions tour.

A tour to Australia is huge and I'm not suggesting we take it lightly. But our depth will allow us to be competitive and it would be a great opportunity to expose guys like McGrath, Marmion, Carberry, Porter, Ryan and Scannell to world class rugby on a properly difficult and important tour.

Zakar wrote:

diarm wrote:Is there any chance we'd leave Murray, Sexton, Best and Furlong at home for this? Those lads have played a hell of a lot of rugby when you consider the Lions tour.

A tour to Australia is huge and I'm not suggesting we take it lightly. But our depth will allow us to be competitive and it would be a great opportunity to expose guys like McGrath, Marmion, Carberry, Porter, Ryan and Scannell to world class rugby on a properly difficult and important tour.

Sickening arrogance

diarm wrote:Is there any chance we'd leave Murray, Sexton, Best and Furlong at home for this? Those lads have played a hell of a lot of rugby when you consider the Lions tour.

A tour to Australia is huge and I'm not suggesting we take it lightly. But our depth will allow us to be competitive and it would be a great opportunity to expose guys like McGrath, Marmion, Carberry, Porter, Ryan and Scannell to world class rugby on a properly difficult and important tour.

Bindi wrote:Irish quite confident now.

Thomas wrote:The cocky Irish versus the resurgent Wallabies.

Jay Cee Gee wrote:

Thomas wrote:The cocky Irish versus the resurgent Wallabies.

Other way round.

Thomas wrote:

Jay Cee Gee wrote:

Thomas wrote:The cocky Irish versus the resurgent Wallabies.

Other way round.

Chur

Mullet 2 wrote:Booking flights this week for the 2nd and 3rd test

Thomas wrote:If the Irish rest their front runners because of their perceived depth we'll roll them 3-0.

Seneca of the Night wrote:Great potential for spite this series.

Farva wrote:Cant see us winning any of the three games tbh.
I think the Wallabies are on the rise, but the Irish are a step too far.

Bindi wrote:Wallabies are going to need a fair bit of luck with injuries. Lose blokes in key positions, and they’re screwed.

Also, Brad Thorn needs to be roped in to harden the forwards up.

Thomas wrote:If the Irish rest their front runners because of their perceived depth we'll roll them 3-0.

Bindi wrote:

Mullet 2 wrote:Booking flights this week for the 2nd and 3rd test

We have a great abundance of pies.

guy smiley wrote:

grievous wrote:

Seneca of the Night wrote:Great potential for spite this series.

For us and irish or the Kiwees?

DOB wrote:

Bindi wrote:

Mullet 2 wrote:Booking flights this week for the 2nd and 3rd test

We have a great abundance of pies.

Not after the 3rd test you won't.

capt hurricane wrote:The Wallabies are the last team to beat the All Blacks though, on their day, they are a handful.

The Irish are favourites though. I can see them cleaning up!

Thomas wrote:If the Irish rest their front runners because of their perceived depth we'll roll them 3-0.

Farva wrote:Im looking forward to seeing the two best half backs in world rugby going head to head.