Peter O’Mahony takes the captaincy reins from the injured Rory Best as Ireland look to take their Grand Slam-winning form Down Under and make a successful start to their three-match summer series against Australia.
2018 SUMMER TOUR FIRST TEST: Saturday, June 9
AUSTRALIA v IRELAND, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 8.05pm local time/11.05am Irish time (live Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Action/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: With Rory Best unable to tour due to a hamstring injury, Peter O’Mahony steps up to captain Ireland for the fourth time in his career. The Corkman first led Ireland on the 2013 summer tour to North America, and last captained the team at home to Canada in November 2016.
O’Mahony is joined in the back row by Ulster-bound openside Jordi Murphy and number 8 CJ Stander, who has played in all eight of Ireland’s Tests so far this season. James Ryan and Iain Henderson continue their second row partnership from March’s 24-15 Grand Slam-clinching win over England.
There are six personnel changes from that game at Twickenham, including a new front row combination of Jack McGrath, Rob Herring and John Ryan. It will be Ulster hooker Herring’s second start and fourth international cap, with Munster tighthead Ryan donning the Ireland number 3 jersey for the first time since a trio of starts on the 2017 summer tour.
Joey Carbery, whose switch to Munster was confirmed last week, has been handed a chance to impress in the number 10 shirt. He takes the reins from the benched Jonathan Sexton for his third start for Ireland – and first alongside his future Munster team-mate Conor Murray.
Robbie Henshaw has recovered from a knee injury to be reunited with his former Connacht colleague Bundee Aki in the centre – it will be their fourth Test start together as a midfield pairing – and the ever-present Grand Slam back-three of Rob Kearney, Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale, the NatWest 6 Nations Player of the Championship, will line out together again.
Joe Schmidt has a very strong bench at his disposal, with Sexton one of six players involved in Leinster’s Champions Cup and GUINNESS PRO14 double success. Connacht duo Quinn Roux and Kieran Marmioncomplete the matchday 23.
Commenting on Carbery’s selection as starting out-half, head coach Schmidt said: “It was similar to the decision making in some of the other positions, like Tadhg Furlong. Some of those guys have had some reasonably tough weeks. One of the things with Joey was that we really wanted to get him out at 10 at some stage, and we thought the best window was to give him the longest preparation window possible.
“Before we had left Dublin and his move to Munster was announced, we had already talked about giving him this opportunity so we decided to forge ahead with it, really.
“We trained last Thursday back in Ireland, then we really trained fully on Tuesday and Thursday of this week, so within those three trainings it gave Joey an opportunity to slot himself in there. As it did for John Ryan and Rob Herring in a similar vein. It’s a really good opportunity for some of those guys to put their hand up.”
He added: “Australia have got a huge amount of caps mixed in with some newbies. Very much what’s expected. It is no surprise to see someone like (number 8) Caleb Timu in there, watching him come on for his cameo against the Waratahs at the weekend. Absolutely blockbusting, as he has been for most of the Super Rugby season.
“(Brandon) Paenga-Amosa, again probably with the injury to Jordan Uelese, it was something that was maybe forced upon Cheiks (Michael Cheika) but at the same time it’s a really good opportunity (for him at hooker). In the backs Reece Hodge has been really solid for them, and having him on the bench gives them a huge versatility to go with the six-two split.”
Meanwhile, Queensland Reds pair Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Caleb Timu will make their debuts for Australia at hooker and number 8 respectively, and Pete Samu is also set to win his first cap from the bench.
Timu’s inclusion pushes David Pocock to blindside flanker, with captain Michael Hooper to start at openside. Australia head coach Michael Cheika said Timu would bring a strong ball-carrying emphasis to the Australian attack, a facet which the Wallabies need with both Pocock and Hooper putting plenty of energy into other parts of the team’s game.
“I think Caleb has had a great season, to be honest,” said Cheika. “I think his carrying game has been outstanding and if you look at the way our back row is set up, the other two boys aren’t the hugest of carriers.
“Even just now as he’s come back from injury – he jumped into that game against NSW and made an impact straight away. I think that’s what you want to see from players.”
Izack Rodda will pack down alongside Adam Coleman in the second row, with Sekope Kepu getting the nod over Taniela Tupou at tighthead prop. Will Genia and Bernard Foley will resume their half-back partnership but there is otherwise a new look to the back-line, as Samu Kerevi and Dane Haylett-Pettyare named at outside centre and left wing, respectively.
Haylett-Petty’s start is his first in close to nine months after a bicep injury ended his 2017 season midway through the Rugby Championship, while Kerevi will start in the number 13 jersey for the first time since last year’s Test against Japan.
Kerevi’s shift to outside centre squeezes Tevita Kuridrani out of the matchday 23 altogether, and utility back Reece Hodge is pushed back to the bench as Haylett-Petty and Marika Koroibete earn the first crack at the wings berths.
Cheika added: “Winning these games is about 80 minutes and guys like (Hodge), Simmons, Nick Phipps, they’ve all been in good form and (Taniela) Tupou has been in great form. We’re going to need 80 minutes and that’s a big theme for us this year – consistency. I’m looking at consistency across the board and I’m looking at the finishers to finish.”
Tolu Latu, a late call-up to the series squad, has done enough to earn a spot as cover for debutant hooker Paenga-Amosa on the bench, while Lukhan Tui, Rob Simmons and Samu have all been named as part of a six-two split in the replacements.
AUSTRALIA: Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs); Marika Koroibete (Melbourne Rebels), Samu Kerevi (Queensland Reds), Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs), Dane Haylett-Petty (Melbourne Rebels); Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs), Will Genia (Melbourne Rebels); Scott Sio (Brumbies), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Queensland Reds), Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs), Izack Rodda (Queensland Reds), Adam Coleman (Melbourne Rebels), David Pocock (Brumbies), Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs) (capt), Caleb Timu (Queensland Reds).
Replacements: Tolu Latu (NSW Waratahs), Tom Robertson (NSW Waratahs), Taniela Tupou (Queensland Reds), Rob Simmons (NSW Waratahs), Lukhan Tui (Queensland Reds), Pete Samu (Brumbies), Nick Phipps (NSW Waratahs), Reece Hodge (Melbourne Rebels).
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Pascal Gaüzère (France), Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Television Match Official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Australia to win: 21/20; Draw: 20/1; Ireland to win: 10/11
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Ireland) – “It’s a huge honour (to be captain again), it’s a big honour to be selected in any Irish team and any time you get a jersey is a special one but obviously, it’s just a little more special when you’re picked to captain your country. It’s a very proud moment for me and all my family and stuff, so it’s a huge moment.
“Rory (Best) is certainly a loss, he’s a big character in the group, not just on the pitch but off the pitch. He’s the oldest and most experienced and someone like that is a big loss, especially to a touring party but he’ll be alright, we’ll see him in a few weeks and we’ve had to battle on without him.
“The players I’ve been lucky enough to play alongside all my career have been special people that you pick up a lot from and you try and take little bits out of what they teach you and try and use them yourself.
“Obviously the back row that Australia have got which obviously I’m direct opposition with – (David) Pocock, (Michael) Hooper, probably one of the best if not the best back row in the world. That in itself is an incredible challenge for us.
“I think they’re a breakdown threat, but not just that, their ability to carry ball, their general rugby agility is second to no back row in the world as well. Their passing skills make them two complete rugby players and they’ve been around for a long, long time. They have a huge amount of consistency there, they have experience and that’s something that will stick with them tomorrow.
“Joey (Carbery) is an incredible footballer, I don’t have to tell you that. He’s really grown into that leadership role. I suppose over the past two years he’s been getting better and better and he’s a big character in the squad, which you need from your 10. I think he’s growing all the time and it’s a huge opportunity for him tomorrow.”
Michael Hooper (Australia) – “We’d be silly not to run the ball with some of the strike power we’ve got. We’ve got a really fit team, forwards who want to work and can get over the ad line with a mobile back row. We’ve seen through Super Rugby some of the damage that the backs can do and some of the form our play-makers are in.
“We’ve got to be smart with how we do it. This stuff does need a little bit of a tweak and how we relieve pressure in these games because we know the Irish are good, they build pressure. We saw what they did to some of the teams in the Six Nations, how they can put up a kick anywhere on the field and just keep putting pressure on – how we deal with that is critical.
“We know they’re big strong guys. When we’ve played them over there (in Dublin) they like to hold players up and they’re good at it. We’ve got to be smart around how we deal with that. Working into position, getting forward and showing a bit of deception with allow them to hopefully not be successful there.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v Australia
Ireland Down Under: ‘We’re Expecting Them To Come Out Firing’
Ireland Down Under: Iain Henderson On Australia
Ireland Down Under: Jacob Stockdale On ‘An Exciting Year’
Recent Meetings –
2013: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 15 Australia 32, Aviva Stadium
2014: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 26 Australia 23, Aviva Stadium
2016: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 27 Australia 24, Aviva Stadium
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #AUSvIRL, #TeamOfUs and #ShouldertoShoulder on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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