# History of rugby union matches between Australia and Ireland

Since 1927, Australia and Ireland have competed against each other in rugby union in thirty-eight matches, Australia having won twenty-two, Ireland fifteen, with one draw. Their first meeting was on 12 November 1927, and was won 5–3 by Australia. Their most recent meeting took place at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on 30 November 2024 and was won 22–19 by Ireland.
Ireland have faced Australia five times in Rugby World Cup play, with Australia winning the first four before Ireland finally won in Eden Park in 2011.
Since 1999 the two sides have competed for the Lansdowne Cup. The Cup is currently held by Ireland since defeating Australia in Dublin in 2024.

## Summary
### Overall

| Details | Played | Won by Australia | Won by Ireland | Drawn | Australia points | Ireland points |
| In Australia | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 390 | 258 |
| In Ireland | 21 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 369 | 297 |
| Neutral venue | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Overall | 38 | 22 | 15 | 1 | 765 | 570 |

## Results

| No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner | Competition | Attendance |
| 1 | 12 November 1927 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–5 | Australia | 1927–28 New South Wales tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France | 25,000 |
| 2 | 6 December 1947 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–16 | Australia | 1947–48 Australia tour of Great Britain, Ireland, France and North America | 50,000 |
| 3 | 18 January 1958 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–6 | Ireland | 1957–58 Australia tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France | 33,000 |
| 4 | 21 January 1967 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 15–8 | Ireland | 1966–67 Australia tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France | 54,000 |
| 5 | 13 May 1967 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 5–11 | Ireland | 1967 Ireland tour of Australia | 32,605 |
| 6 | 26 October 1968 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 10–3 | Ireland | 1968 Australia tour of Great Britain and Ireland | 28,000 |
| 7 | 17 January 1976 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 10–20 | Australia | 1975–76 Australia tour of Great Britain, Ireland and the United States | 52,000 |
| 8 | 3 June 1979 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane | 12–27 | Ireland | 1979 Ireland tour of Australia | 16,500 |
| 9 | 16 June 1979 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 3–9 | Ireland | 1979 Ireland tour of Australia | 33,476 |
| 10 | 21 November 1981 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 12–16 | Australia | 1981–82 Australia tour of Great Britain and Ireland | 54,000 |
| 11 | 10 November 1984 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–16 | Australia | 1984 Australia tour of Great Britain and Ireland | 35,600 |
| 12 | 7 June 1987 | Concord Oval, Sydney | 33–15 | Australia | 1987 Rugby World Cup | 14,856 |
| 13 | 20 October 1991 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 18–19 | Australia | 1991 Rugby World Cup | 54,500 |
| 14 | 31 October 1992 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 17–42 | Australia | 1992 Australia tour of Great Britain and Ireland | 54,500 |
| 15 | 5 June 1994 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane | 33–13 | Australia | 1994 Ireland tour of Australia | 26,545 |
| 16 | 11 June 1994 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 32–18 | Australia | 1994 Ireland tour of Australia | 37,239 |
| 17 | 23 November 1996 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 12–22 | Australia | 1996 Australia tour of Great Britain, Ireland and Italy | 52,000 |
| 18 | 12 June 1999 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane | 46–10 | Australia | 1999 Ireland tour of Australia | 24,177 |
| 19 | 19 June 1999 | Subiaco Oval, Perth | 32–26 | Australia | 1999 Ireland tour of Australia | 26,267 |
| 20 | 10 October 1999 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–23 | Australia | 1999 Rugby World Cup | 49,250 |
| 21 | 9 November 2002 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 18–9 | Ireland | 2002 Autumn International | 49,000 |
| 22 | 7 June 2003 | Subiaco Oval, Perth | 45–16 | Australia | 2003 Ireland tour of Australia, Samoa and Tonga | 40,000 |
| 23 | 1 November 2003 | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | 17–16 | Australia | 2003 Rugby World Cup | 54,206 |
| 24 | 19 November 2005 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 14–30 | Australia | 2005 Autumn International | 42,000 |
| 25 | 24 June 2006 | Subiaco Oval, Perth | 37–15 | Australia | 2006 Summer International | 38,200 |
| 26 | 19 November 2006 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 21–6 | Ireland | 2006 Autumn International | 42,000 |
| 27 | 14 June 2008 | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | 18–12 | Australia | 2008 Summer International | 47,500 |
| 28 | 15 November 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | 20–20 | draw | 2009 Autumn International | 69,886 |
| 29 | 26 June 2010 | Lang Park, Brisbane | 22–15 | Australia | 2010 Summer International | 45,498 |
| 30 | 17 September 2011 | Eden Park, Auckland (New Zealand) | 15–6 | Ireland | 2011 Rugby World Cup | 58,678 |
| 31 | 16 November 2013 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 15–32 | Australia | 2013 Autumn International | 51,000 |
| 32 | 22 November 2014 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 26–23 | Ireland | 2014 Autumn International | 51,100 |
| 33 | 26 November 2016 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 27–24 | Ireland | 2016 Autumn International | 51,000 |
| 34 | 9 June 2018 | Lang Park, Brisbane | 18–9 | Australia | 2018 Ireland tour of Australia | 46,273 |
| 35 | 16 June 2018 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne | 21–26 | Ireland | 2018 Ireland tour of Australia | 29,018 |
| 36 | 23 June 2018 | Stadium Australia, Sydney | 16–20 | Ireland | 2018 Ireland tour of Australia | 44,085 |
| 37 | 19 November 2022 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 13–10 | Ireland | 2022 Autumn International | 51,700 |
| 38 | 30 November 2024 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 22–19 | Ireland | 2024 Autumn International | 51,700 |

## List of series

| Played | Won by Australia | Won by Ireland | Drawn |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Year | Australia | Ireland | Series winner | Lansdowne Cup |
| 1967 | 0 | 1 | Ireland | Not contested |
| 1979 | 0 | 2 | Ireland | Not contested |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | Australia | Not contested |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | Australia | Australia |
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | Ireland | Ireland |

## Images

| An Ireland line-out in the 2nd test against Australia in Sydney, 1979. | Australia claim a line-out during their 2011 Rugby World Cup match with Ireland in New Zealand. | Radike Samo takes the ball from the back of the scrum during Australia's 2011 Rugby World Cup match with Ireland. | Will Genia throws a pass during Australia's 2011 Rugby World Cup match with Ireland. |