I know this may come as a shock to many of you, but Ireland has recently expanded its territory to 33 counties. The new Irish soviet is located in Sydney’s eastern beachside suburbs. Coogee beach has been claimed as County Coogee. It is home to thousands of young Irish immigrants and those on working holiday.In County Coogee, the tribal heritage of each individual is easily distinguished by the wide cross section of GAA shirts they wear to shield their sensitive skin from the harshness of the Australian sun. So when Ireland run out to face the Wallabies at the beautiful Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday, it will be packed with the County Coogee faithful. With an 8pm kick-off, members of the 33rd county may possibly be a few pints deep, singing the Fields of Athenry, at a stadium that ironically is only 5km from Botany Bay, where the hero of the tune was dumped for nicking Trevelyn’s corn. I hope he wore his GAA shirt and packed his factor 50. The Sydney Football Stadium is intimate, atmospheric and picturesque. When it is in full voice, it is one of the best stadiums in the world. Situated in a quarter of Sydney that still has a pub on most corners, with so many Irish voices, it will be like a home game for the men in green. Unlike the soulless vacuum at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, Test match rugby has been played in the surrounds of the Football Stadium for close on 130 years.And Australians love it.Here, let me clear up some fake news that is doing the rounds. Rugby in Australia is not dying. In fact, for the first time in two decades, rugby Down Under is taking giant strides forward. Long-term readers know that I have been one of Rugby Australia’s (RA) harshest critics. For 20 years, the game in Oz has been in a state of chaos because of horrific governance from consecutive regimes at RA. However, since the appointment of two former Wallabies to the highest positions of leadership, the game has lifted itself up off the canvas and is once again punching above its weight. Chairman Danny Herbert and chief executive Phil Waugh are revitalising rugby in Australia step by tedious step.Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh and Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images Money is the root of all evil and the basis of all progress, so Herbert and Waugh have rightly focused on finances. They have overseen a boom in income from last year’s Lions tour, which has allowed RA to repay all its debts, including an 80 million Australian dollar (€48.5 million) loan from World Rugby and still managed to bank a handy profit of 30.4 million Australian dollars. That is a turnaround of staggering proportions.The pair have correctly maintained RA’s financial independence, rejecting the risks of a proposed private equity model – similar to what the Six Nations adopted – and set up their own future investment fund, replicating the financial model used by the highly successful Australian Olympic Committee.[ Simon Easterby makes case for the defence in trying times before Wallabies clashOpens in new window ]The significance of these reforms cannot be overstated. With the millions of extra dollars that will flow from the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cup tournaments coming Down Under over the next three years, it means for the first time in its existence, rugby in Oz will have the backing of secure financial certainty.At the same time, participation numbers are improving, especially in the women’s game, and most of this year’s Wallabies fixtures are already sold out. On top of all that, last week RA announced they have partnered with New Zealand Rugby to play an annual Test match on the most hallowed day in the calendar of both countries.Every Anzac Day, April 25th, the famous black jersey will face the wattle gold and green. This is a marketing bonanza for rugby in both nations because these matches will embody the spirit of Anzac that continues to inspire future generations to want to play the game. The bonus is that the games will be another cash cow for both nations.When all of these factors are considered, it is hardly the scenario of a sport that is on its last legs. As it has done so many times in its history, by using the resources inside its own community, rugby in Australia is once again on the comeback trail.Many Down Under believe a travesty of justice was served up against Australia in the dying seconds of last year’s second and deciding Lions Test. Photograph: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images That does not mean that every aspect inside Australian rugby is perfect.Herbert and Waugh still have several mountains to move to unblock the elite player pathway. The production line needed to create world-class players remains highly dysfunctional. The playing pool emerging from schools and flowing on to clubs, Super Rugby teams and then to the Wallabies is far below the required standards. That said, when all their top players are available, as they are against Ireland, the Wallabies can still put out a matchday 23 that can beat the best in the world. They proved this last year by defeating the world champion Springboks at Ellis Park.While Ireland are red-hot favourites, they are coming off an unprecedentedly long season, following a Lions tour, meaning many Irish players are deeply fatigued. This makes Ireland vulnerable. The Wallabies are the exact opposite. They are fresh and highly motivated to correct what all Down Under believe was a travesty of justice served up against Australia in the dying seconds of last year’s second and deciding Lions Test. A refereeing call that should have penalised the Lions for a dangerous clearout was ignored, which led to the Lions winning the series. As the Australian saying goes, the Wallabies got the rough end of the pineapple.[ ‘They’ll target this game as a big one for them’: James Ryan relishing return to AustraliaOpens in new window ]So for the Irish, this might be just another summer Test match at the end of a long season, but for the Australians, this is the unofficial fourth Lions Test. A chance to get square. Ireland have the same coach as the Lions and most of the Irish team are Lions. Hosted at the traditional home of Australian Test match rugby in Sydney, the scenario is set for a golden ambush.Something tells me that the plans to celebrate a comprehensive Irish win in County Coogee on Saturday night might just be a bit premature.With money in the bank and plenty of bums on seats, Test match rugby is alive and kicking Down Under. The fourth Lions Test should be a beauty.