The Ireland coaches have made five changes to the team from the first Test and have included three uncapped players – Quinn Roux, Sean Reidy and Tiernan O’Halloran – for Saturday’s rematch with South Africa in Johannesburg (kick-off 5pm local time/4pm Irish time).
There are five personnel changes to the team that claimed an historic win over South Africa last weekend and a further five new faces among the replacements.
Hooker Rory Best captains the side for the 11th time and is joined in the front row by Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong, who comes in for his first international start at tighthead, while Devin Toner is partnered in the second row by debutant Quinn Roux from Connacht.
Iain Henderson switches to the blindside flank, taking over from the suspended CJ Stander, and Rhys Ruddock comes in at openside for his first start since November 2014, with vice-captain Jamie Heaslip at number 8.
Conor Murray and Paddy Jackson are retained at half-back, while Robbie Henshaw is joined in the centre by Ulster’s Stuart Olding, who is set for his first start since his debut against the USA three years ago. Henshaw also made his international bow that night in Houston.
Craig Gilroy is introduced on the left wing for his eighth cap, making it an all-Ulster back-three alongside Andrew Trimble and full-back Jared Payne.
Sean Reidy and Tiernan O’Halloran are the two uncapped players on the bench and they are joined by Richardt Strauss, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Donnacha Ryan, Kieran Marmion and Ian Madigan.
Commenting on the selection of new cap Roux and Furlong up front, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt said: “I think one of the things for us is Quinn very much a very good set piece player. In the scrum and lineout, I think he’s very proficient in those two areas and he’s trained incredibly well since he’s been with us.
“I know Quinn very well from having coached him for two years previously (at Leinster) and during those two years he struggled to get real rhythm because he had a number of injuries and every time he got back playing, he unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to have a succession of games that would have allowed him I think to progress.
“We’ve seen a bit of that progress in Connacht this season and I guess we’re challenging him to progress a bit further in that international arena.
“It is a big day for Tadhg. I know that he and Quinn and Iain Henderson on that axis at the scrum will be working incredibly hard to be as combative and as effective as possible. Tadhg is another guy who has trained incredibly well. Tadhg has spent a fair bit of time with us without getting a massive amount of time with us out on the actual pitch.
“He started the season with us at the World Cup, he’s remained with us throughout the season and so it’s a huge ask for him, but we wouldn’t do it if we weren’t confident that he can step up and deliver something. It’s a whole different realm stepping into the lion’s den.”
Asked about Olding’s inclusion in a new-look Irish midfield, he added: “I think he’s maybe a little more in the Gordon D’Arcy mould, a guy with some footwork and some ability to play as a second receiver although I thought Luke Marshall did incredibly well doing exactly that and that was one of things that attracted us to Luke in the first place.
“He was ending up as a first receiver often in the way Ulster were attacking. We think Stu can bring a little bit of the same, the fact that he’s a left footer as well. That brings a little bit of a different dimension technically because we’d normally have a number of left footers in our back-line but without Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald and Simon Zebo, we’re very right-foot dominant so there’s a few different things that he can bring to the equation.
“The other thing is Stu is a tough character. Mentally, he’s very tough. He stays in the game very well and I think he punches above his weight just as Gordon D’Arcy did.
“They’re quite similar in that they both distribute smart, opportune passes when it’s on, and they carry when it is the right thing to do, and they work hard away from the ball to try to get back into positions where they can get back onto the ball.”
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IRELAND Team & Replacements (v South Africa, 2016 Summer Tour Second Test, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg, Saturday, June 18, kick-off 5pm local time/4pm Irish time):
15. Jared Payne (Ulster)
14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
12. Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
11. Craig Gilroy (Bangor/Ulster)
10. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
5. Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) *
6. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
7. Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18. Finlay Bealham (Bucanneers/Connacht)
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
20. Sean Reidy (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht)
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock/Leinster)
23. Tiernan O’Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht) *
* Denotes uncapped player at this level
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