Preview: Wallaroos to provide tough test for Ireland

Ireland v Australia, 2.30pm, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

Ireland Women take on their Australian counterparts for the first time in seven years in Belfast this afternoon as the IRFU kick off their 150th anniversary celebrations.

While the Sevens teams meet regularly on the World Series tour, you have to go back to the 2017 World Cup for the last time the 15s sides clashed.

Ireland won a classic pool game 19-17 in Dublin but Australia gained revenge in the seedings play-off when they prevailed 36-24 at Ravenhill, also today's venue.

In rugby terms, and especially in relation to the journey the Ireland team has been on since then, it’s a lifetime ago.

That loss, and the subsequent defeat to Wales, set Ireland off on a journey that would ultimately end in failure to qualify for the next World Cup.

Fast forward seven years, two coaches and two captains later, Ireland find themselves with a new sense of purpose.

Just six months after a first Wooden Spoon finish in the Six Nations since 2004, the Ireland rejuvenation began with a WXV3 title win in Dubai last October under head coach Scott Bemand.

A third-place finish in his first Six Nations campaign saw World Cup qualification secured without any drama.

"I was aware of some of the turbulence but I think since Scott has come in it seems to have really settled and you can see the progress of the girls," said Australia head coach Jo Yapp, a former England captain.

"They’ve got into WXV1 now and you can see the growth and they’ve got a strong coaching team and are back on track."

The downside to the upside of finishing third meant that Ireland skipped the second tier of the WXV series and face New Zealand, Canada and USA in Vancouver.

They’ll meet the challenges and 'take their learnings’