Ireland v Australia: The key men and the key battles
The match-up between the two captains at no8, Caelan Doris and Harry Wilson, is bound to be a key feature
Ireland-Australia looks to have some brilliant one-on-one battles in store.
And clearly Joe Schmidt's team, rated a -14 points underdog with the bookies, need to prosper in some unexpected areas.
Here, we look at the THREE KEY MATCH UPS on the pitch in the Aviva this afternoon - is this where the game will be decided?
No 13: Robbie Henshaw - Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
Henshaw's third game in a row, his seventh wearing the no13 in 11 Ireland games this year, the sort of settled experience Farrell wants in the centre to keep 23 year-old Rugby League convert Suaalii suppressed. Wthout Suaalii, Australia have no back-line threat.
No9: Jamison Gibson-Park - Jake Gordon
Andy Farrell has built his team around JGP's speed and quick thinking; Gordon is 30 years-of-age, six-one, 13 stone who, following playing amateur rugby (2013-19), has been a decent Waratahs servant. 20 Australian caps and has nothing like the step-up needed for this battle.
No8: Caelan Doris - Harry Wilson
Two captains, and very young captains at that; Doris, 26, had an off-day against the All Blacks and spent the last two games making up for it. Wilson, 24 last week, is an in-yer-face no8, a short-order carrier but doesn't look to have the disciplined 80 minutes needed for this task.
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