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Ireland eye Australia win

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 15/11/2009
Rugby Union betting

Ireland will face Australia on Sunday afternoon at Croke Park in the first of their three November Tests.

Declan Kidney will be hopeful his Six Nations winning outfit can get off to a positive start against the stuttering Wallabies, who beat England 18-9 at Twickenham last weekend.

Kidney will look at this clash as ideal preparation for his team, who are an early online betting favourites to re-capture the Six Nations crown that commences in early February.

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Prior to the win, Australia had found themselves going through a terrible run of form.

Four demoralising defeats to their fierce rivals New Zealand in the last four months and two defeats against world champions South Africa gave the Wallabies a horrendous record of six defeats from seven.

That now reads six from eight following Saturday's win and head coach Robbie Deans will be striving for his team to kick on following their recent disappointments.

On the contrary, Ireland will be in buoyant mood ahead of the season opener.

They have won their last eight games and this included the Grand Slam during last season's Six Nations.

Their last defeat was at the hands of New Zealand back in November last year as they were handsomely beaten 22-3.

Ireland will take hope from their more recent meetings against the tourists as they contest the Lansdowne Cup.

The last time the giants met, Ireland went down 18-12 in Melbourne in June 2008, but despite this, two of Australia's last three visits to Dublin have finished in victories for the home side - 18-9 in November 2002 and 21-6 in November 2006.

Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll will lead out his nation against Australia and also for the remaining Test's against Fiji and South Africa later in the month.

The 30-year-old Dubliner has captained Ireland to 39 wins in 56 Test matches and will be looking to improve on this tally throughout the Autumn.

He will be aware that his first game as captain was back in November 2002 and his team beat Sunday's opponents 18-9 at Lansdowne Road and he would be happy with a similar outcome this time around.

Irish eyes will focus on Rocky Elsom, who is said to Ireland's favourite Australian.

The Wallabies captain became an honorary Dubliner after helping Leinster to their Heineken Cup triumph last season.

Elsom will know the importance of quieting the partisan home faithful down and he and his men will have a task on their hands to do so.

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