AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL: IRELAND v AUSTRALIA Venue: Croke Park, Dublin Date: Sunday, 15 November Kick-off: 1500 GMT Coverage: Live coverage on BBC Two, updates on BBC Radio Ulster MW and the BBC Sport website
Brian O'Driscoll is tackled by Matt Giteau in last year's clash in Melbourne
Australia will hope to spoil Brian O'Driscoll's party as the Ireland captain earns his 100th Test cap in Sunday's clash at Croke Park.
Prop Cian Healy will make his Ireland debut as the Grand Slam champions play their first game on home soil since last year's Six Nations triumph.
O'Driscoll won his first Ireland cap against Australia in 1999.
Australia, captained by O'Driscoll's former Leinster team-mate Rocky Elsom, beat England 18-9 last weekend.
The Aussies make only one change from the win at Twickenham with David Pocock replacing George Smith at open-side flanker.
Despite his glittering career, O'Driscoll has spoken this week of his excitement heading into this weekend's game.
In-depth interview - Brian O'Driscoll
Indeed, O'Driscoll insists the hunger and nerves he experienced as a 20-year-old in Brisbane have not diminished despite his 93 Irish caps and six outings for the British and Irish Lions.
"I enjoy it as much now as I did in the early days, though it probably comes more naturally to me now," he said.
"Playing against teams of the calibre of Australia, you have to be on the ball and if you're eating your pre-match meal with no problems then there's an issue there.
"You need to be forcing the food down, you need to have those few nerves in the stomach and a few butterflies.
"It focuses the mind and just gets you ready for combat."
O'Driscoll says that the Irish will have to be at their most streetwise to outwit the Wallabies at Croke Park.
"Australia are a very smart team, the smartest in world rugby.
"They think about how to break down defences and have the personnel to do that."
Australia coach Robbie Deans has picked a youthful side for Sunday's match but the Wallabies will have been buoyed by last weekend's win.
However, Deans has been working hard this week to talk up the current golden generation of Irish talent.
"It's going to be a litmus test for us," insisted Deans.
"They're the grand slam Six Nations champions, European Cup champions two years in 08 and 09 (Munster and Leinster), so there's an awful lot of experience and belief in the group we're playing at Croke Park."
However, skipper Elsom and assistant coach Jim Williams, the former Munster hero, will give the Aussies something of an inside track on the Irish.
Elsom played alongside O'Driscoll in the Leinster's Heineken Cup-winning team in May although he is playing down the significance of Sunday's match.
"I wouldn't say I was really pumped up to be playing against the guys but it will be good to see everyone and catch up," said the blind-side flanker.
Ireland camp impressed by Australia
"This is probably the best Irish side we've ever seen. Definitely it's a big challenge," said Elsom, whose team are bidding to become only the second Australia side after the celebrated 1984 Wallabies to complete a grand slam of wins over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Healy's inclusion for the unavailable Marcus Horan apart, Ireland's only other change from the Grand Slam clinching win over Wales in March is the inclusion of Paddy Wallace at centre instead of Gordon D'Arcy.
Ireland have John Hayes in the front row as he has completed a five-week ban while hooker Jerry Flannery has been passed fit after a calf injury.
The Irish have beaten Australia just twice in their last seven meetings, dating back to 2002, and only eight times out of 27 in total.
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