‘Leapfrog off that game’: Wallabies duo on Ireland Test before World Cup

Wallabies fullback Tom Wright sees next year’s showdown with Test heavyweights Ireland as an opportunity to “leapfrog” into their home Rugby World Cup, with this clash at Canberra’s GIO Stadium falling less than two weeks before the tournament.

Rugby Australia announced on Tuesday the Wallabies would return to the nation’s capital for the first time in 10 years when they host Ireland on September. The Wallabies kick off their home Rugby World Cup against Hong Kong China in Perth on October 1, 2027.

It’s also been confirmed the Wallaroos will host Women’s Six Nations outfit Scotland at the same venue on October 23. Captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona led the Wallaroos to a 33-15 win over Fijiana at GIO Stadium last weekend, which was their first Test of the 2026 season.

Next year’s World Cup appetiser between world no. 3 Ireland and the Wallabies will be the men in green’s first match on Australian soil since 23 June, 2018. Ireland claimed a four-point victory in Sydney that evening, extending their unbeaten run in this head-to-head matchup.

“You always want to play against the best, right? And for a number of years now, for a long time really, they’ve always been in that top echelon of sides,” Wright told reporters this week.

“In particular, with Joe [Schmidt] coming from there into our system and seeing the fruits that we’ve been able to take from him, and even just seeing some of the way that they play, you can see the system that he instilled there.

“There’s a couple of things for us in terms of, it’s almost like a small world. If we’re able to leapfrog off that game here at GIO, that’ll be super exciting for the squad that goes into the World Cup.”

The Wallabies are yet to lose a Test in Australia’s capital, having played matches in Canberra from 1998 to 2017. That included a 45-20 triumph over Los Pumas nine years ago, which was the team’s first win of that Rugby Championship.

Allan Alaalatoa has played more than 100 matches for the Canberra-based ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, and the long-time Wallabies prop was also part of the team that defeated Los Pumas almost a decade ago.

“It was really special. For myself, starting my journey here at the Brumbies, to then be able to play a Test match here, you only have to look back to see how special it was for the Canberra community and how much they enjoyed it,” Alaalatoa reflected.

“It was close to a full stadium here and it just shows how much support we have here in Canberra for rugby and we know that we’ve got a strong support base. Bringing the Wallaroos game against Scotland here is massive, but also for the Wallabies to verse Ireland pre-World Cup is great.”

The Wallabies have been drawn in an intriguing Pool A for their home Rugby World Cup, joining arch-rivals the All Blacks in that group. Chile and World Cup debutants Hong Kong China will also look to push for a place in the all-new Round of 16.