Irish Rugby

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Ulster wing Zac Ward has been ruled out of Friday's United Rugby Championship game against Leinster (19:35 GMT), but Tom Stewart is in line to return.

Ireland Sevens player Ward, who joined Ulster on a trial basis after the Olympics, sustained a concussion in Ulster A's game against Connacht Eagles last week.

Ben Moxham is a doubt for Friday's game after injuring his hamstring in the same fixture, while Jacob Stockdale (hamstring) is also out after being forced off during Ireland's win over Fiji last weekend.

However, Ireland hooker Stewart is on track for his first appearance of the season after recovering from an ankle injury.

Centre Stewart Moore is also available for selection, as is back row Nick Timoney, who has been released from the Ireland squad.

Ulster are also without Robert Baloucoune (calf), Jake Flannery (ankle), James Hume (knee), Callum Reid (knee), Ethan McIlroy (ankle) and Sean Reffell (ankle).

The URC returns from its four-week international break. Ulster lost to Cardiff in their last outing before the break while Leinster travel to Belfast having won all six games this season.

Leo Cullen's side are without their Ireland internationals but this week welcomed Jack Conan, Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O'Brien back to full training.

Watch Ulster v Leinster on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website from 19:15 GMT.

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Jacob Stockdale, Tadhg Furlong, Ryan Baird and Jamie Osborne have been ruled out of Ireland's final autumn international against Australia on Saturday.

Ulster wing Stockdale (hamstring) and Leinster full-back Osborne (abductor) were forced off during Saturday's win over Fiji.

Speaking about Osborne's injury, Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell said: "He's a big loss. He's very versatile on the bench obviously, he covers so many different positions and is growing and getting better all the time.

"It's a shame he's out. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and he's back to us soon."

Leinster lock Ryan Baird was ruled out of the Fiji game with a head injury while prop Tadhg Furlong has missed the entire autumn campaign with a hamstring issue.

O'Connell also confirmed that Dave Heffernan (Connacht), Nick Timoney (Ulster) and Jack Boyle (Leinster) have been released back to their clubs before the United Rugby Championship's return this weekend.

After bouncing back from a defeat by the All Blacks with wins over Argentina and Fiji, Ireland host Joe Schmidt's Wallabies at Dublin's Aviva Stadium at 15:10 GMT on Saturday.

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Australia centre Joseph Suaalii could regain fitness in time to face Ireland on Saturday after sustaining an arm injury in last Sunday's defeat by Scotland.

There had been fears that the rugby league convert, who made his Wallabies debut against England earlier this month, had broken his wrist after being forced off early at Murrayfield.

An injury update from Australia said: "Joseph Suaalii lost function and had severe pain in his right arm and was substituted.

"After travelling with the team to Ireland, his function is returning, and pain is subsiding. He was medically reviewed post-game and there is no evidence of a fracture and will be monitored throughout the week."

Lock Jeremy Williams, who pulled out of the Scotland game because of illness, is "recovering positively" but forward Will Skelton is unavailable.

Skelton has been recalled to his club La Rochelle with the Ireland v Australia game falling outside of the international window.

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Ulster have signed Northampton Saints number eight Juarno Augustus on a three-year deal from next summer.

The 26-year-old South African helped Northampton win the Premiership title last season after joining the club from Western Province in 2021.

A former South Africa Under-20 international, Augustus was named 2017 World Rugby Junior Player of the Year after finishing that year's World Rugby Under-20 Championship as top try-scorer.

"I'm very excited to sign for such a historic club in Ulster Rugby. From my conversations, I believe in the project and can see the potential," said Augustus, who also previously played for the Stormers.

"It's exciting to be a part of that and I look forward to meeting my new coaches and team-mates in Belfast next summer. I have heard about the proud history of the province with South African players, so I will hopefully feel right at home."

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said acquiring Augustus was a "statement of where we want to get to".

"He's a top-class player," said Murphy.

"He's 26, he's in his prime, he's been a very effective ball-carrier in the Premiership over the last couple of seasons so we're delighted to get him here."

Ulster general manager Bryn Cunningham said: "He has shown with Northampton Saints that he is a huge physical presence in the back row, with fantastic ball-carrying and a destructive threat around the breakdown.

"The modern game is so much about having a point of difference, particularly in explosiveness, and Juarno certainly has this."

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Leinster have welcomed Ireland internationals Jack Conan, Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O'Brien back to full training ahead of Friday's United Rugby Championship game against Ulster in Belfast.

British and Irish Lions back row Conan has recovered from the hamstring injury he sustained against Munster on 12 October while wing Larmour is also available for selection having been out since September.

Full-back O'Brien, who has also been absent since September, has also returned to training.

Hookers Lee Barron and John McKee are also available for Leo Cullen's table-toppers, who have won all six URC games this season.

Ulster host Leinster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday at 19:35 GMT with the URC returning after a four-week international break.

Watch Ulster v Leinster on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website from 19:15 GMT.

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Australia boss Joe Schmidt says he does not expect to be "love-bombed" by Ireland fans ahead of his return to Dublin this weekend.

Schmidt led Ireland to three Six Nations titles during a six-year spell in charge but will lead the Wallabies into Saturday's Test against Andy Farrell's side.

"I know the Aviva pretty well and that will be nice to get back there, albeit in a different changing shed," the New Zealander said after his side's 27-13 loss to Scotland on Sunday.

"I'm really excited about getting back, I don’t know about being love-bombed.

"I coached against them a couple of times with the All Blacks and I think I was pretty unpopular there.

"I've swapped sides again and there'll be a degree of unpopularity."

Schmidt, who left Ireland after the 2019 World Cup, added: "The way my family and I were looked after in Dublin was fantastic, and right around Ireland. It's a special place for us.

"We still have a home there and a daughter, I'm looking forward to catching up with her.

"It will be a nice week to get back there but there's only one game in town and that's about the footy, and trying to help these guys prepare as best they can."

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Erin King was named women’s breakthrough player of the year at the World Rugby awards in Monaco.

The flanker was part of the Irish sevens team at the Paris Olympics in August, only making her 15s debut a month later against Australia in Belfast.

She went on to star at the WXV1 competition in Vancouver, most notably when Scott Bemand's side beat the world champion Black Ferns.

"I feel amazing," she said.

"It's all happened so quick. I only got my first 15s cap a couple of months ago so everything has been moving so quick.

"To even be nominated when I got the email a few weeks ago, I was in awe of that, and then to be named and win the award, I can't quite believe it. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, for sure."

King will continue to switch between sevens and 15s but is planning to play in both the Six Nations and World Cup next year.

Her international team-mate Aoife Wafer was named on the team of the year, while men's captain Caelan Doris was beaten to the player of the year award by South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit.

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Ireland captain Caelan Doris believes the side's 52-17 win over Fiji was their best performance of the autumn so far.

Andy Farrell's side were beaten 23-13 by the All Blacks to start the month before a tense three-point win over Argentina in response.

The head coach made seven changes for the visit of Fiji with his alterations paying off in an eight-try victory.

"I think it's our best [performance] of the three," said the skipper.

"Felt pretty dominant out there. We had a good start to the game, similar to last week and the message at half-time was to have a ruthless start to the second half and to kick on.

"Our attack hasn't quite fired in the second half over the last couple of weeks, but it was good [on Saturday], we got a few tries off the back of it."

Although Ireland were always in control of the game, injuries ensured they ended the contest with several players playing out of position, including number eight Doris taking a turn at centre.

"I enjoyed it out there," he said of the switch.

"There was a bit of wherever the ball's going, I'll go to the other side. But it was enjoyable."