Mack Hansen has been restored to Ireland’s beginning XV as a part of 4 personnel adjustments for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup conflict with Tonga in Nantes.
Scrum-half Conor Murray, hooker Ronan Kelleher and flanker Josh van der Flier are additionally recalled following final weekend’s 82-8 thrashing of Pool B minnows Romania.
Johnny Sexton will captain a robust group at Stade de La Beaujoire, simply seven days earlier than Andy Farrell’s males tackle defending champions South Africa.
Connacht wing Hansen made a 20-minute cameo throughout the victorious curtain-raiser in Bordeaux, having initially been omitted of head coach Farrell’s opening matchday 23, regardless of being match.
The 25-year-old’s late elevation to a spot among the many replacements adopted Robbie Henshaw pulling out forward of kick-off as a result of a minor hamstring challenge.
Centre Henshaw has seemingly recovered in time for this weekend after being named on a bench which additionally contains prop Dave Kilcoyne, who has been sidelined with a hamstring challenge, and match debutants Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, Craig Casey and Ross Byrne.
Hooker Dan Sheehan has returned to coaching following the foot challenge he sustained in final month’s warm-up win over England however stays an absentee.
Rob Herring will present backup for Kelleher, whereas scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and lock Joe McCarthy, who joined the South Africa-born hooker on the scoresheet in opposition to Romania, additionally drop out, along with wing Keith Earls.
The world’s top-ranked nation are searching for to increase their document profitable streak to fifteen matches to maintain themselves on the right track for the quarter-finals transferring in direction of pivotal Paris appointments with the Springboks and Scotland.
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Kelleher will pack down between first-choice props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong to make solely his second Test begin for the reason that 2022 Guinness Six Nations.
The 25-year-old’s alternatives have been restricted by a collection of damage setbacks and the emergence of Leinster team-mate Sheehan.
Tadhg Beirne strikes into the second row to accomplice James Ryan following his two-try flip at blindside flanker in opposition to Romania.
World participant of the yr Van der Flier is available in at openside flanker, pushing Peter O’Mahony into the quantity six shirt vacated by Beirne, whereas Caelan Doris continues at quantity eight.
Murray, who slipped behind Gibson-Park within the pecking order throughout 2021, resumes his long-term partnership with fellow veteran Sexton.
Fly-half Sexton final week got here again from nearly six months out via damage and suspension to turn out to be his nation’s main World Cup factors scorer (102) by registering two tries as a part of a 24-point haul.
With the South Africa showdown looming, Farrell has resisted temptation to relaxation the influential 38-year-old, who wants simply 9 extra factors to equal Ronan O’Gara’s nationwide document of 1,083.
Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose are retained in midfield, with Hansen in a well-known again three alongside fellow wing James Lowe and full-back Hugo Keenan. Ulster skipper Iain Henderson completes the bench.
Ireland group to play Tonga: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), G Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster, capt), C Murray (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), J Ryan (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), J Van der Flier (Leinster).
Replacements: R Herring (Ulster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), F Bealham (Connacht), I Henderson (Ulster), R Baird (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), R Byrne (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster).
