Taylor Swift, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Ireland 150th v Australia - it is about ticket money
There is Only On F in Foley writes: Ireland-Australia will be compelling soap, Farrell v Smith, Ireland's early November dip in form, Sam Prendergast, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii...
The reason Ireland are playing Australia in an out of Test-window Test is the IRFU are celebrating their 150th anniversary.
And, on yeh, it was a fantastic opportunity to bank a million quid profit. The IRFU are just like Taylor Swift, Oasis and such as The Rolling Stones, ticket money is profit/repeat/profit/repeat.
What the IRFU couldn't have known when offering the gig was that the Wallabies would be giving the job to former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, an appointment announced last January, taken up in March with his first game in July.
READ MORE: Best of Frenemies scenario as Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt come head-to-head
READ MORE: Who is Ireland rookie out-half Sam Prendergast?
Nor could they know Andy Farrell would be appointed Lions coach so this would be his last game before jollying off on a Lions Tour, not to be seen pitch side in an Ireland tracksuit for 11 months.
Moreover they would have to have mind-reading/fortune telling abilities to foretell Ireland's lack of November Series form, losing to New Zealand dismally and failing to score in the second-half against Argentina.
The net result is this mash-up this afternoon on a weekend that, theoretically, belongs to the URC.
A game between two coaches who didn't post RWC 2019 on the best of terms; an Irish coach anxious to get things into place ahead of being away for the guts of a year; and an anxious squad determined not finish with a two win/two loss return for the month's work.
Okay, there is little empirical evidence Farrell and Schmidt don't get on...
But the scuttlebutt was that Farrell felt he wasn't being listened to with regard to RWC 2019, disagreed with the final squad selection and was furious his tactical appraisal of Japan (to whom Ireland lost) was ignored.
It was further unusual that once in country Farrell and Schmidt - who is here with his wife Kellie and son Luke as well - weren't pictured shaking hands while having tea or coffee or something black with a white head at some point this week.
Moreover this last fortnight Farrell has appeared at his most anxious since taking the job this week.
The All Blacks defeat upset the rhythm and momentum this group had built through the year, maybe forcing him to double-down, use tried and trusted selection.
If there were plans to experiment with new faces, they became restricted and while he did point out there were four debutants in the Series - Sam Prendergast, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson and Cormac Izuchukwu - aside from the first-named they have not been talking points.
Indeed it remains to be seen whether Prendergast's promotion to the first team has been premature; despite the boss's appraisal of how well the 21 year-old went against Fiji, he really only played well in relation to his 'rookie' status.
If Sam takes another leap forward this afternoon, Farrell will have the right to feel he got this fast-track right; if the evidence is inconclusive, there is an 11 month gap before the coach is hands-on again.
The other knock-on from losing to New Zealand was the return to the tried and tested for this game.
Nine of the starting team and two from the bench from the RWC 2023 quarter-final against the All Blacks start today - and they are augmented by Robbie Henshaw and James Ryan.
This makes for seven thirty-somethings on a team with just two players McCarthy and Prendergast who are under 26, not a good sign when it comes to succession planning and the Head Coach's coming absence.
The question as to whether there was a need for such a double-down when looking for the win here is interesting and may have roots, as mentioned, in a number of places.
There is that Farrell-Schmidt relationship, the home record in Dublin, a desire to give Prendergast the best possible side around him, injuries to Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale and possibly more...
Because, whisper it quietly, Schmidt's 2024 Wallabies are not very good and for every good headline, there are myriad ones pointing to problems.
The Wallabies have played 12 games in the last five months.
There was an eye-catching single-point win in Argentina (which became a 40 point rout/loss a week later), a last gasp win over England (which was complete larceny) while their other four wins comprised rock-bottom Wales, three times, and Georgia.
The six losses were Argentina, two against New Zealand, two against South Africa and last week's 27-13 loss to Scotland, a match where the Aussies appeared leggy and wishing they were in the departure lounge on the way home.
Signs on while Joe Schmidt might be well up the fight today, his players might not be.
There is a reason Ireland, almost at rude full-strength, are 1/8 to win the game and have been allotted minus-14 on the handicap.
VERDICT: Ireland to win, easily.
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