Ireland kick off their Autumn Nations Series campaign with a Rugby World Cup rematch against New Zealand in Dublin on Friday in what should be an epic clash.
The All Blacks definitely have no rust ahead of this fixture after recently playing in the Rugby Championship before overcoming Japan and England in recent weekends.
In contrast Ireland haven’t played since their drawn mid-year series against the Springboks so will need to hit the ground running or risk a loss at the Aviva Stadium.
Ahead of the meeting on Friday we predict how Andy Farrell‘s team will line up and there are certainly some headaches for the Ireland head coach ahead of the clash.
15 Hugo Keenan
Back from his exploits in the Sevens arena that included featuring at the Olympic Games in Paris, Keenan has returned to action with Leinster this United Rugby Championship season and looks set to reclaim the green number 15 jersey, which Jamie Osborne had filled so impressively in the July Tests against South Africa.
14 Calvin Nash
A tough decision for Farrell but a combination of Nash impressing during his time in the jersey in July and Mack Hansen not being fully fit in the lead-up to this game sees the Munster player keep his spot. There is also the form of Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale to consider and whether he could switch to the right wing.
13 Garry Ringrose
The silky Ringrose is set to get the nod at outside centre as when fit he’s head and shoulders above his rivals for the shirt. A fascinating battle with Rieko Ioane awaits.
12 Bundee Aki
Joining Ringrose in the midfield is likely to be Aki as he should get the start over Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey and the aforementioned Osborne. Aki was outstanding during the 2023 Rugby World Cup and at 34 years of age one wonders how many more times he will be a focal point in this Ireland XV. What a player.
11 James Lowe
We have mentioned Stockdale already, who has been excellent for Ulster this season and looks to be banging down the door for more Ireland caps. However, it is incredibly tough for him to displace the reliable Lowe, whose infectious hunger, booming boot and solidity in attack and much-improved defence sees him start.
10 Jack Crowley
Crowley should run out at fly-half and we expect Ciaran Frawley to be on the bench as cover with Sam Prendergast missing out this week. There’s been plenty of talk involving a certain former Ireland captain in the lead-up to this Rugby World Cup rematch but it’s now very much Crowley’s era and he is a cool customer.
9 Jamison Gibson-Park
A high quality operator at the base who has nailed down this shirt in recent years. Expect Gibson-Park to relish the occasion against his country of birth as Craig Casey or Conor Murray offers back-up on the bench. At 32, Gibson-Park certainly has another Rugby World Cup in him and we expect another strong outing.
8 Caelan Doris
One of the best players in the world at the moment, Doris has this shirt locked down especially with Jack Conan out injured. Now with the added responsibility of the Ireland captaincy, there is plenty of weight on his shoulders but there is enough experience around him to pitch in during this mouth-watering fixture.
7 Josh van der Flier
Nick Timoney has been impressing for a long while at Ulster but the seven shirt remains Van der Flier’s, with the former World Rugby Player of the Year set to go up against All Blacks veteran Sam Cane for the last time on Friday. Timoney will hope for a bench place but one wonders if Peter O’Mahony will be the man to cover the flanks.
6 Tadhg Beirne
Could Farrell stick with Beirne at blindside after he performed so well there against the Springboks? That seems likely especially with O’Mahony having only just returned from injury. There is also Cian Prendergast and Cormac Izuchukwu as options but we feel it will be Beirne with O’Mahony finishing off the Test.
5 James Ryan
That means Ryan keeping his jersey alongside his Leinster team-mate in the second-row. Ryan Baird is set to be the impact man coming off the bench once again.
4 Joe McCarthy
The number four shirt looks to be McCarthy’s for a long time as the 23-year-old is only going to get better with game time. Having such a destructive lock has been a major plus for both Leinster and Ireland and he’ll look to put that to good effect against the likes of Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Ireland set to be without 78-cap forward for All Blacks showdown – report
3 Finlay Bealham
News broke on the42.ie on Tuesday that Tadhg Furlong has picked up an injury and is likely to be ruled out of the All Blacks fixture, which means a golden opportunity for Connacht’s Finlay Bealham to start. Tom O’Toole is therefore likely to feature off the bench.
2 Ronan Kelleher
Hooker has been the concerning position in the lead-up to the Autumn Nations Series with injuries to Dan Sheehan, Kelleher and Rob Herring giving Farrell some food for thought. However, it’s been reported that Kelleher is on the right track to featuring which brings welcome relief, with Dave Heffernan expected to be on the bench.
1 Andrew Porter
As mentioned, the starting props pick themselves at the moment and Porter will relish going up against one of the best tightheads in the world in Tyrel Lomax. That set-piece battle could well be pivotal in the result.