Ireland team to face England in Rugby World Cup warm-up game named

IRELAND Head Coach Andy Farrell has named the Match Day Squad for Saturday’s  Nations Series clash against England at Aviva Stadium, 5.30pm, live on RTÉ 2 and Amazon Prime).

Limerick and Munster Rugby winger Keith Earls is in line to win his 100th Test cap in green should he feature off the replacements bench in the World Cup warm-up game.

Earls, who made his Ireland debut against Canada in November 2008, is set to become the ninth Ireland player to reach the landmark, following in the footsteps of Brian O’Driscoll (133), Ronan O’Gara (128), Cian Healy (124), Rory Best (124), Johnny Sexton (113), Paul O’Connell (108), John Hayes (105) and Conor Murray (105).

James Ryan will captain Ireland in the final home match before the Rugby World Cup in France.

Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe make up the Ireland starting back three, with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose also set for their first appearances of the Bank of Ireland Nations Series in midfield. Leinster pair Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park start in the half-backs.

In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong start in the front row, with Tadhg Beirne joining Ryan – who captains Ireland for the eighth time on Saturday – in the second row. Peter O’Mahony starts at blindside flanker, with Josh van der Flier at openside and Cian Prendergast set for his first Ireland start at number eight.

Farrell and the Ireland Coaching Team have strong options across the bench, with Rob Herring, Jeremy Loughman and Finlay Bealham providing the front row reinforcements. Joe McCarthy and Caelan Doris will look to make big impacts when called upon, while the Munster trio of Conor Murray, Jack Crowley and centurion in waiting Earls complete the Match Day 23.

Ireland (v England):

(Province/Club/Caps)

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)(30)
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians)(14)
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD)(50)
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians)(46)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(20)
10. Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD)(19)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(25)

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)(53)
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)(17)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)(66)
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne)(39)
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD)(captain)(53)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)(94)
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)(50)
8. Cian Prendergast (Connacht/UCD)(2)

Replacements:

16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)(35)
17. Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen)(1)
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers)(30)
19. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)(2)
20. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College)(29)
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen)(105)
22. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)(4)
23. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)(99).