As forecast, Sam Prendergast has been retained at outhalf for Ireland’s concluding Autumn Nations Series match against Australia at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3.10pm) having evidently usurped Jack Crowley as the first-choice 10 in this November window.
Crowley returns to the match-day squad but has to be content with a place on the bench having started the first nine games in the post-Johnny Sexton era since the World Cup prior to being rested last week. Prendergast made his debut as a replacement for Crowley in the final quarter of the win over Argentina before making his full Test debut in last week’s 52-17 win over Fiji.
[ Sam Prendergast expected to retain No 10 jersey for Australia gameOpens in new window ]
Andy Farrell has made four other changes to his starting line-up from a week ago, with Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Ryan all returning after being rested completely last week, as does Ronan Kelleher after his replacement’s role against the Fijians.
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A positional switch sees Tadhg Beirne revert to blindside flanker, with the injured duo of Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale dropping out of the matchday squad, as does one of last week’s debutants, Cormac Izuchukwu. However, it is a measure of Gus McCarthy’s progress this season that the 21-year-old hooker is named on the bench ahead of Rob Herring after making an eventful Test debut last week.
Cian Healy returns to the squad and should therefore eclipse Brian O’Driscoll’s record as Ireland’s most capped player by winning his 134th cap off the bench in the match marking the IRFU’s 150th anniversary. In the continuing absence of the hamstrung Tadhg Furlong, Tom O’Toole reverts to tighthead cover, with Thomas Clarkson missing out, while Peter O’Mahony returns to the 23 on the bench.
So too does Garry Ringrose as the Bundee Aki-Robbie Henshaw midfield partnership is retained, while Craig Casey, who started last week, is named ahead of Conor Murray.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris. Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
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