Jamie Osborne’s selection on the left-wing for Ireland is something out of the ordinary but it is not new. He hasn’t played a Leinster game on the wing this season. His last to play the wide berth, and that was on the right, was in April 2025 against Harlequins. However, he played tno11 previously in green, starting the March 2025 Six Nations game with France in Dublin that finished 27-42. Said Ireland coach Andy Farrell of choosing Osborne to effectively replace James Lowe: “He’s been
playing and playing really well and two, he’s a bloody good rugby player in whatever position he’s playing. “Obviously, with how we want to play the game with our wingers to make sure that they’re involved and stuff like that, he’s a smart rugby player. “So he gets that straight away. He’s pretty good in the air, good left boot on him and all that type of stuff. So it all comes into the pot, for sure.” Sam Prendergast, as expected, starts at out-half. “The
way that he’s handled the last month is a credit to him,” said Farrell of Prendergast. “He’s once again earned the right to [wear the jersey].” Ireland are looking for a sixth consecutive win against Australia. The first four of those wins were by a single before a late flurry saw them win 46-19 last time out. The last result is an outlier rather than in-pattern says Farrell who doesn’t think it should be taken as a yardstick. “Not much at all, really, I think
that they would see the start of the international season as a clean slate and a chance to keep pushing forward now. “We’re all on a bit of a journey up to the World Cup, so I’m sure that they’re excited for that. The side that they’ve picked shows that they’ve certainly got the personnel to be able to start their season particularly well. They’ve got some good athletes all over the field. “Both teams have changed a little bit and we’ll see how that
develops on Saturday night.” Besides Andy Farrell and a number of Ireland players have lost a game recently against Australia – the third 2025 Lions test. “Have a look at the talent that they’ve got. They’ve got some superb rugby players. “You look at the centres and the edges that they’ve got, the back-row that they’ve got, the people that have coming off the bench, the people that they’ve got out injured, etc. “They’re building nicely, that’s for sure and the Lions tour obviously meant
an awful lot to them and it certainly did to the British and Irish Lions as well. “But yeah, you saw the fruits of that by going to Jo’burg and coming back and winning. You see the capability of the side. “I read some reports this week that if they get it right, they can beat anyone in world rugby. I would agree with that.” *Ireland:* 15 Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(46) 14 Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)(8) 13 Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(74) 12 Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(28) 11 Jamie Osborne
(Naas/Leinster)(15) 10 Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(15) 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(51) 1 Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(21) 2 Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(39)(_captain_) 3 Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(86) 4 Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(24) 5 James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(80) 6 Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(11) 7 Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(79) 8 Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(59) *Replacements:* 16 Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(48) 17 Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster)(8) 18 Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(13) 19 Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(70) 20 Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(11) 21 Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(28 22 Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(12) 23 Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(69) Click here to sign up
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Ireland, Australia, Andy Farrell, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, left wing, Sam Prendergast, Hugo Keenan, Six Nations, World Cup, Leinster