Ireland coach Andy Farrell will head into his secondment with the British and Irish Lions on the back of a narrow win over Australia, the team he intends to bring down on next year’s tour.

Ireland showed character to deny former coach Joe Schmidt a winning return to Lansdowne Road on Saturday by edging Australia 22-19 in a scrappy encounter in their one-off rugby Test. "It's a quality side,

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ireland fought back from a halftime deficit to mark a 150th anniversary with a scruffy 22-19 victory over Australia on Saturday, sealing the victory in the last eight minutes and denying their former coach Joe Schmidt a winning return.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell signed off before his British and Irish Lions sabbatical in victorious fashion thanks to a nervy 22-19 comeback win over Joe Schmidt’s Australia in Dublin. Gus McCarthy’s late try helped the hosts narrowly come out on top against former head coach Schmidt in an engrossing encounter marking the 150th anniversary of Irish rugby.

Gus McCarthy crashed over at the back of a rolling maul for the clinching try, ensuring Irish rugby's 150th birthday party wasn't spoiled by the Wallabies.