Ireland Team Named For Autumn Nations Series Opener Against Japan
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Back in action.
Andy Farrell has named the Ireland matchday squad for the opening Autumn Nations Series test match against Japan at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 6th November. There are two significant cap milestones as Jonathan Sexton will win his 100th cap and Tadhg Furlong his 50th.
Sexton will captain the side on his 100th appearance for Ireland. He is joined at half-back by Jamison Gibson Park with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose reunited in the centre for the first time since the rescheduled Six Nations fixture against Italy in October 2020.
Hugo Keenan starts at fullback in his 14th consecutive game for Ireland and is flanked in the backfield by Andrew Conway and James Lowe.
Furlong is joined in the front row by Andrew Porter, who makes his first international start at loosehead, with Ronan Kelleher named at hooker. James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne are named at lock and the Leinster trio of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan make up the back-row.
The replacements named for Saturday’s game are uncapped hooker Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Keith Earls.
Ireland Team vs Japan
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 13 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 25 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 34 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 31 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 6 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 99 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 10 caps
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 13 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 49 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 22 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 9 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 20 caps
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)*
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 109 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 16 caps
19. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 63 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 76 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 89 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 24 caps
23. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 93 caps
*denotes uncapped player
