The final Tier 1 international of 2024 falls outside the World Rugby window, but two strong Irish and Australian sides will take to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to commemorate 150 years of rugby in Ireland. 

This was always expected to be Australia’s most difficult leg of their four-week tour and they appear to be running out of steam after falling well short of the spread in Edinburgh last weekend. 

They managed just one try through the magic of debut winger Harry Potter and this is expected to be an even sterner test for some inexperienced backs such as Max Jorgensen and code-hopper Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i.

Ireland have also been held to some modest scores throughout the year by Tier 1 opponents and rugby betting sites have possibly set the main total too high for this one.

This week, we’ve selected not two but three tryscorer picks to hopefully cap off what has been a successful and profitable year for followers of our regular rugby previews!

Ireland Vs Australia Predictions:

Ireland Vs Australia Tips: Irish Defence To Keep Total Low

After Australia accumulated just 13 points last weekend against one of the four Tier 1 teams to be conceding fewer than 20 points on average this year, they’ll face another.

No side has put 30+ points past the Irish defence since their series opening loss in the 2022 tour of New Zealand, and other than 2023 Rugby World Cup finalists New Zealand and South Africa, only England on home soil were able to score 20+ against Ireland in any competition this year. 

Putting last week’s 52-17 rout of Fiji to one side, Andy Farrell’s men are averaging 24 points per game against Tier 1 sides in 2024; and if you want to be especially picky, that average drops further to 23 when excluding the Six Nations home win over Italy. 

That’s in part why seven of their 10 matches this year fell short of the main total points handicap.

Betting apps are expecting a scoreline of roughly 34-19 to Ireland based on the spread and total handicaps, but that would be slightly higher than average scoring for both teams, which is why we’re leaning towards the ‘under’ here at 1.85 with Unibet.

Ireland v Australia Prediction 1: Under 52.5 Points – 1.85 With Unibet

Ireland Vs Australia Prediction: Hansen To Hit The Heights

The second favourite with most betting sites to score a try is Ireland winger Mack Hansen and that comes as no surprise given his prime try-scoring form during this international window. 

One week after Melbourne born and raised Sione Tuipolotu expressed his animosity towards Australian rugby and then took his anger out with a try in Scotland’s 14-point win, we’re anticipating another Australian defector to enact the ultimate revenge.

The Connacht wing was on the try sheet in each of his last two internationals – two v Fiji and one v Argentina – and subsequently has now scored tries in three of his last five appearances for club or country.

The concern is that he couldn’t close out his 2022 Autumn Nations Series with a try against Australia following tries against Fiji and South Africa, but after two years of significant development he should be approaching this with much more experience and match nous. 

Ireland v Australia Prediction 2: Mack Hansen To Score A Try – 1.91 With Bet365

Ireland Vs Australia Betting: Take Flier To Cross The Line

As a product of the Leinster academy and international debutant under Joe Schmidt, Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier will likely have an additional bit of inspiration – and perhaps even knowledge – to go out and impress his former mentor. 

Van der Flier credits Schmidt with teaching him the “attention to detail” that has propelled him to become the fifth best back rower in the world on Florugby’s esteemed player rankings.

He has an even more frequent try-scoring rate than Hansen in recent weeks, finding the line in three of his last four games for either Leinster or Ireland, including at home to the All Blacks who present much more of a defensive threat than Australia.

For those looking outside the short-priced wingers for value, this could be it. 

Ireland v Australia Prediction 3: Josh van der Flier To Score A Try – 2.88 With Bet365

Ireland Vs Australia Odds: The Reight Stuff

Schmidt attracted some criticism for resting Fraser McReight against Scotland, with one pundit declaring that the Wallabies “needed him” for the entire tour, but Schmidt insisted that McReight pulled up from the game against England a bit sore and tired and needed to be managed.

Former players such as Jeremy Paul and Stephen Hoiles have described him as one of if not the best number seven in the world at present and Hoiles even went as far as to suggest that he could one day eclipse Hall of Famer Michael Hooper for individual achievements. 

Following a seven-try haul in the Super Rugby season for the Reds, he followed it up during the mid-year internationals with a double against Georgia and tries in both losses to the All Blacks. 

Whilst we take this play with a lower level of confidence to the previous two, any punter who considers the Wallabies a chance to upset Ireland in this end of year international should be seriously considering him to contribute to the final score. 

Ireland v Australia Prediction 4: Fraser McReight To Score A Try – 4.5 With Bet365