Nations Championship, Round 1: Australia v Ireland, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, 11.10am Irish time – Live on Virgin Media One, ITVEverywhere you go around Sydney there’s no doubting the identity of the number-one show in town. It isn’t rugby union, nor is it even rugby league, albeit that may change with next Wednesday’s State of Origin decider in Brisbane. Instead, for once, it’s the golden replica jerseys of the Socceroos.Much like back in Ireland, the smattering of replica jerseys from elsewhere, notably Argentina and Brazil, indicate who is playing on a given day in the World Cup. But the Friday-night swathe of golden Socceroos tops were a pointer as to how many intended staying up – as well as getting up – for the 4am local kick-off time when Australia played Egypt in their round-of-32 World Cup tie in Dallas.But in a country that draws much of its national identity from sport, the Wallabies hope to feed off the patriotic fever that has gripped Australia for their opening Nations Championship game against Ireland. “We love it. You see what the support for the Socceroos has been over the last few weeks,” said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson the day before leading his team against Ireland.“It’s the whole country getting behind it. Everyone just going to pubs and watching it, and it’s a really cool time when you see your whole nation get behind the sport.“It’s a really big day of sport tomorrow in Australia. You’ve got the Socceroos, you’ve got the Demon (Alex de Minaur) at Wimbledon, and then with us. It’s an exciting day for Australian sport and hopefully it’s a really good day.”After seven losses from their last eight Tests in 2025, culminating in a winless end-of-year tour of Europe featuring a 46-19 defeat to Ireland, the Wallabies are mustard keen to win back wavering fans ahead of hosting next year’s Rugby World Cup.Although Ireland have enjoyed an unprecedented run of five wins in this fixture, the last three have been in Dublin. Whatever about their end-of-year form, Australian sides are different beasts on home soil.“Very, very tough,” is how Garry Ringrose views this game, not least when he will look directly across the pitch. “Their centre partnership with [Len] Ikitau and Joseph Suaalii have been unbelievable – their ability to play at the line and through the line, as well as play to space.“I mean, seeing some things they do, how tight and flat their attack is can sit you down and they’ll pull out the back, or the opposite. If you guess, they’ll play through you, so unbelievably challenging from those two in terms of ball-in-hand.“And then, the back three are pretty lethal as well in terms of the pace out wide, so plenty of challenges to get our heads around.”New competition or not, this end-of-season trek has, as Ringrose put it, something special about it. “There’s that extra bit of coming down to the Southern Hemisphere to play Australia and in their backyard and then Japan and the challenge in Auckland. It doesn’t get much bigger than that, so it is properly special.”Australia: Jock Campbell (Queensland Reds); Max Jorgensen (NSW Waratahs), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (NSW Waratahs), Len Ikitau (NSW Waratahs), Dylan Pietsch (Western Force); Carter Gordon (Queensland Reds), Ryan Lonergan (ACT Brumbies); Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs), Josh Nasser (Queensland Reds), Allan Alaalatoa (ACT Brumbies), Jeremy Williams (Western Force), Josh Canham (Queensland Reds), Rob Valetini (ACT Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds, capt). Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Western Force), James Slipper (ACT Brumbies), Taniela Tupou (Racing 92), Lachlan Shaw (ACT Brumbies), Tom Hooper (Exeter Chiefs), Tate McDermott (Queensland Reds), Ben Donaldson (Western Force), Tom Wright (ACT Brumbies).Ireland: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), Ciarán Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht).Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Forecast: Ireland to win.Join our Irish Times Rugby WhatsApp communityGet the best of our writing in the Irish Times rugby community (©INPHO/Henry Simpson/©INPHO/Henry Simpson) Join our Irish Times Rugby WhatsApp community and get our best rugby writing sent directly to your messages inbox. From provincial news to coverage of Ireland’s inaugural Nations Championship campaign, you won’t miss an update. Join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DaV5S7cDxWF0xDDILjarcw