Ireland name strong team to face Boks in Dublin

The Ireland coaching team have named an experienced match-23 to take on the Springboks at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday (kick-off 19h30 SA time).

Conor Murray is set to earn his 100th cap for Ireland and is one of just five players in the starting team that started the last game between the two sides in 2017. Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw, Peter O’Mahony and Johnny Sexton were the other players to start against the Springbok five years ago.

Cian Healy, who is named on the bench for Saturday’s game, also started the 2017 game while SA-born Rob Herring, James Ryan and Joey Carbery were among the replacements that day.

Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan have never played for Ireland against South Africa but featured against the Springboks for the British & Irish Lions in the 2021 Test Series. Furlong, Henshaw and Murray also played in that Test Series.

Finlay Bealham has experience of playing the Boks as he was a replacement in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on the 2016 Tour, whereas Robert Baloucoune, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson Park, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, Dan Sheehan, Kieran Treadwell and Josh van der Flier have never faced South Africa at senior level.

Baloucoune missed the Summer Tour of New Zealand through injury but started against both Windhoek Draught Griquas and the Toyota Cheetahs for Emerging Ireland last month.

Ireland captain Sexton will make his 109th appearance for Ireland this Saturday, becoming the country’s fifth most capped player of all time pushing current forwards coach Paul O’Connell into sixth position.

Nathan Doak, Tom Stewart and Stewart Moore have now joined the extended squad.

Ireland team to face the Springboks:

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster) 23 caps
14. Robert Baloucoune (Ulster) 2 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster) 44 caps
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 60 caps
11. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 6 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (captain, Leinster) 108 caps
9. Conor Murray (Munster) 99 caps

8. Caelan Doris (Leinster) 20 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 43 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster) 87 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster) 46 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 33 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 60 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 10 caps
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster) 46 caps

Replacements:

16. Rob Herring (Ulster) 28 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster) 118 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht) 25 caps
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) 8 caps
20. Jack Conan (Leinster) 30 caps
21. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 20 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster) 35 caps
23. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 6 caps

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