Most cricket lovers will remember where they were on November 27 2014, when they learnt that Phillip Hughes had died after two agonising days of hoping for better news from Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.

Ireland have lost Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale to injury for Saturday’s test against Australia while Tadhg Furlong and Ryan Baird have yet to recover for the clash in Dublin, officials said on Tuesday.

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

Speaking about Osborne’s injury, Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell told a press conference: “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.