The last time Australia played a senior match they had a win against the auld enemy and the knowledge that a spot in the World Cup beckoned the winners of Oceania qualifying. Of course any first year philosopher will tell you that you cannot know something which is not true. So it was that FIFA voted a gazillion to one to give Oceania the rogering it had been missing for a while. Mark Bowman knows what I'm talking about.
Australia now in action for the first time since that win against England in February, while the Republic of Ireland has scheduled this match as preparation for their final qualification matches for the 2004 European Championships - against Russia on 6 September and Switzerland on 11 October.
The match was initially scheduled for August 20, but the 19th was later used because of a music concert... nothing is ever easy is it.