Andy Farrell will not shy away from Lions talk as Ireland prepare for Australia

Ireland boss Andy Farrell intends to embrace the hype surrounding the first of four meetings with Joe Schmidt’s Australia and insists his upcoming stint with the British and Irish Lions is not a “distraction”.

Six Nations champions Ireland conclude their autumn campaign by hosting the Wallabies before Farrell temporarily departs to lead next summer’s three-Test Lions tour against the same nation.

The Englishman previously spent three-and-a-half years as assistant to former Ireland head coach Schmidt, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Saturday’s Dublin showdown and the subsequent 2025 series.

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Asked how he will handle this week’s big media build-up, Farrell replied: “I won’t be shying away from it.

“We’ll use everything that we’ve got, obviously. So will they. There’s no doubt. It’s an exciting last game for everyone.”

Defence coach Simon Easterby is poised to replace Farrell on an interim basis and will oversee Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations title defence in 2025 and a planned summer tour to Romania and Georgia.

Despite his imminent sabbatical, Farrell remains fully focused on immediate challenges.

“It’s not been a distraction for me or the squad,” he said of the Lions. “The only thing that matters is this week.”

Leading the Lions into a new era…

Your #Lions2025 Head Coach: Andy Farrell.#Howden @CanterburyNZ

— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) January 11, 2024

Australia’s upcoming visit to the Aviva Stadium has been arranged as part of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s inaugural international match.

The hosts go into the game buoyed by Saturday’s emphatic 52-17 win over Fiji, which followed a narrow 22-19 victory against Argentina and a 23-13