Ulster Contingent Make Ireland Squad for Australia Tour
“Joe Schmidt” by OvalDigest (CC0 1.0 UPDD)
Five current Ulster players were named in Six Nations Grand Slam champions Ireland’s touring party by national coach Joe Schmidt for their summer Test series with Australia.
After sweeping all-comers aside in the spring, the Irish travel to the Southern Hemisphere seeking a first series victory since 1979. Ireland came close in 2016 to breaking this near-40-year hoodoo, but went down 2-1 to South Africa.
Now they play Australia first in Brisbane on Saturday, 9 June, then again in Melbourne seven days later and a potential series decider takes place in Sydney the following week. How do they bet on this series down under and which Ulster players can fans of Irish rugby expect to see in action?
Betway make Ireland even-money chances to repeat the series victory of 1979 over the Wallabies, but it’s Australia who are narrow favourites at Boylesports to thwart Schmidt’s side. Michael Cheika will want to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing whitewash of two years ago when England toured as Grand Slam winners.
A 3-0 series scoreline in Ireland’s favour is a tempting price with Boylesports, while 2-1 comes out at slightly shorter odds in that market. Punters can of course bet against the Irish if hosts Australia take their fancy.
Given their exploits against the Northern Hemisphere’s elite rugby nations earlier this year, free bets a plenty will be spent on Ireland – not least because of Leinster’s recent European Champions Cup triumph. Their main danger, however, may come in the form of an Ulster player.
“Jacob Stockdale” by Raymond Acheson (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Jacob Stockdale has made a superb start to his international career on the wing and, coming into this series down under, the 22-year-old has 11 tries from just nine caps. It is an auspicious beginning and Schmidt will expect more from this still unexposed try threat.
Accolades have already come Stockdale’s way as he was voted the 2018 Six Nations player of the tournament after crossing seven times in five matches to set a new record for most tries in a single edition of the championship. Australia must look at ways of neutralising him.
More familiar to Irish rugby fans than new kid on the block Stockdale is captain and hooker Rory Best. Now a veteran at 35, next season will be his fifteenth since he made his debut for Ulster.
Best has also enjoyed a lengthy international career, skippering Ireland to what was a fourth Six Nations title for him personally this year. South-Africa-born Rob Herring is an understudy to him for both provincial club and country, though Leinster’s Sean Cronin is more established at international level.
Fellow Ulster forward Iain Henderson is a lock for inclusion – pun intended – in the Irish second row, while scrum half John Cooney has to get past the impressive Conor Murray of Munster to claim the number nine jersey.
Leinster back row Jordi Murphy is to switch provinces for Ulster over the summer, meanwhile, and the Barcelona-born flanker looks sure to add to his 20 Ireland caps on this Tour.
