Ireland Squad Hit by Injuries Ahead of Australia Test

Four players – Jacob Stockdale, Tadhg Furlong, Ryan Baird, and Jamie Osborne – have been confirmed as unavailable for Ireland’s concluding autumn international fixture against Australia this Saturday. Ulster’s wing Stockdale, suffering from a hamstring injury, and Leinster’s full-back Osborne, with an abductor issue, both exited the field during the team’s victory over Fiji last Saturday. Commenting on Osborne’s injury, Ireland’s forwards coach Paul O’Connell stated: “He’s a big loss. He’s very versatile on the bench obviously, he covers so many different positions and is growing and getting better all the time.” “It’s a shame he’s out. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious and he’s back to us soon.” Leinster lock Ryan Baird was previously withdrawn from the Fiji match due to a head injury, and prop Tadhg Furlong has been absent for the entirety of the autumn series because of a hamstring problem. Additionally, O’Connell verified that Dave Heffernan (Connacht), Nick Timoney (Ulster), and Jack Boyle (Leinster) have been sent back to their respective clubs in advance of the United Rugby Championship’s resumption this weekend. Following their recovery from a loss to the All Blacks with subsequent victories over Argentina and Fiji, Ireland is set to welcome Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium at 15:10 GMT on Saturday. Coverage will be available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website & app, where live text updates can also be followed.