Donning their new Canterbury home jerseys for the first time, Andy Farrell’s Ireland will have the backing of a full house at the Aviva Stadium as they take on number one-ranked New Zealand.
2021 AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES: Saturday, November 13
IRELAND v NEW ZEALAND, Aviva Stadium, 3.15pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/Channel 4/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Andy Farrell and his coaching team have named the Ireland team to play New Zealand in their second Autumn Nations Series encounter at the Aviva Stadium.
While captain Jonathan Sexton is facing New Zealand for the 14th time in his international career, there are four players across the back-line that will face the All Blacks for the first time – including his half-back partner Jamison Gibson-Park.
The back-three of Hugo Keenan, Andrew Conway and James Lowe will also play New Zealand at senior level for the first time. Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki partner each other in midfield for the fourteenth occasion.
There is one change to the pack with Ulster captain Iain Henderson starting alongside James Ryan in the engine room, while the all-Leinster front row of Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong is retained.
Head coach Farrell commented: “We thought last week that Tadhg (Beirne) was better suited to the Japan game and we feel that at the start of this game, Iain is better suited to start this game.
“100%, Tadhg played really well last week, he will come on in whatever position it is and finish the game really well for us.
“We thought Jamison played really well and deserves another shot at starting. As I said last week, he’s more comfortable in his own skin at this level now.
“His maturity and leadership has gone through the roof at this level. I thought he had an excellent game last week, so he gets a chance again.”
Similarly, the dynamic back row of Caelan Doris on the blindside, Josh van der Flier at openside and Jack Conan, at number 8, continues from last week’s 60-5 victory over Japan.
The replacements for Ireland’s first game against New Zealand since the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final are Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Keith Earls.
PCR testing carried out on Friday of the Ireland squad and management team has produced no positive Covid-19 results. Click here for more.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand selection shows 14 changes to the team that defeated Italy 47-9 in Rome last week. Winger Sevu Reece is the only player retained for their first trip to Dublin in three years.
The entire pack that started against Wales two weeks is put back together, led by captain Sam Whitelock. Indeed, second rows Whitelock and Brodie Retallick have a combined 200 Test caps.
Blues tighthead Nepo Laulala links up with Crusaders duo Joe Moody and Codie Taylor in the front row, and Ardie Savea provides the experience in the loose forwards, with Ethan Blackadder (26) and Dalton Papalii (24) still relative newcomers.
The back-line is led again by recent centurion Beauden Barrett and TJ Perenara, Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane join forces in the centre, and Reece, Will Jordan and full-back Jordan Barrett make up a potent back-three.
Head coach Ian Foster commented: “That’s the way we finished the Welsh game, with Anton moving in, Rieko moving to centre and Sevu on the wing. It’s a little bit of a reward for that combination.
“We’ve been able to use this series of games and the time together to try different things and thought a little change there would be good for us.
“We’re also pretty excited at the impact that Finlay (Christie), David (Havili) and Richie (Mo’unga) will have off the bench.”
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster).
NEW ZEALAND: Jordie Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes); Will Jordan (Tasman/Crusaders), Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues), Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs), Sevu Reece (Tasman/Crusaders); Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Tokyo Sungoliath), TJ Perenara (Wellington/NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka); Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders), Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders), Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Blues), Brodie Retallick (Hawke’s Bay/Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders) (capt), Ethan Blackadder (Tasman/Crusaders), Dalton Papalii (Counties Manukau/Blues), Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes).
Replacements: Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes), Karl Tu’inukuafe (North Harbour/Blues), Tyrel Lomax (Tasman/Hurricanes), Tupou Vaa’i (Taranaki/Chiefs), Akira Ioane (Auckland/Blues), Finlay Christie (Tasman/Blues), Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury/Crusaders), David Havili (Tasman/Crusaders).
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley, Christophe Ridley (both England)
Television Match Official: Tom Foley (England)
Pre-Match Quotes: Andy Farrell (Ireland) –
Selection is a big part of the week for us as coaches obviously and we all know the start of our season and how that’s been. We all know the limited time that we’ve had together, so the cohesiveness of our group is absolutely everything at the weekend.
“We were pretty cohesive last week against Japan so we roll on with a pretty similar side. It’s full-bore, isn’t it? It’s a very experienced New Zealand team, a similar side that we came up against in the World Cup, certainly in the front five.
“They’ve got threats all over the field and these are the types of games we want to play in. We’re coming up against the best and we’re coming up against a very strong starting XV and strong squad in New Zealand.
“We’re unbelievably fortunate to get the opportunity to play them four times this season. At the end of the 2021/22 campaign, we go on a tour to New Zealand that’s going to test us to the hilt.
“We’ll learn a lot about ourselves this weekend and through this season. We’ll certainly learn a lot about ourselves on the tour to New Zealand because that will be the ultimate tour really.
“It’s a privilege to play against the best, we should embrace that, work towards it, and keep pushing ourselves.”
Ian Foster (New Zealand) –
We’ve had a great week here in Dublin. We travelled well from Italy and are back into our more traditional routine of hitting a town and then moving onto the next one.
“The weather has been great here and we’ve enjoyed training in those conditions and getting ready for what will be a massive occasion on Saturday.
“We’ve watched Ireland’s development this year with interest, particularly through the latter part of the Six Nations and last week’s big win over Japan. They are certainly playing with confidence and ambition and represent a formidable challenge.
“We have no doubt what Saturday is going to bring at a full Aviva Stadium. It’s a big occasion, rugby is back to Dublin in terms of full grandstands, so we know what it’s going to mean here, and we want that kind of stage. It’s big and it’s exciting and is what motivates this team.”
Pre-Match Links –
Keenan Relishing Exciting All Blacks Showdown
‘It’s The Intensity That They Bring, The Physicality’ – Sexton
In Pics: Ireland Squad Training At Carton House
Farrell: We Want To Be At Our Best And Challenging Ourselves
Aki: It’s A Special Occasion, But The Approach Doesn’t Change
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Aviva Stadium
Recent Meetings –
2016: Autumn Test: Ireland 40 New Zealand 29, Soldier Field, Chicago; GUINNESS Series: Ireland 9 New Zealand 21, Aviva Stadium
2018: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 16 New Zealand 9, Aviva Stadium
2019: Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final: New Zealand 46 Ireland 14, Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo
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