Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls and Iain Henderson all return to the Ireland team as Joe Schmidt’s men bid to make a winning start to their Rugby World Cup campaign against Pool D rivals Canada.
RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL D: Saturday, September 19
IRELAND v CANADA, Millennium Stadium, 2.30pm (live TV3/UTV/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog/)
Team News: The Ireland coaching team have named the matchday 23 for their opening Rugby World Cup Pool D game against Canada at the Millennium Stadium.
Paul O’Connell, who is set for his 14th Rugby World Cup appearance, captains Ireland from the second row where he is partnered by Iain Henderson – one of six tournament debutants in the starting line-up.
Henderson and loosehead prop Jack McGrath are the only changes to the pack that started against Scotland in last March’s Six Nations decider. McGrath joins hooker Rory Best and tighthead Mike Ross in the front row, with Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien and the 75-times capped Jamie Heaslip lining out together in the back row.
Robbie Henshaw is unavailable due to ‘a tight hamstring’, so Luke Fitzgerald comes in to partner Jared Payne in the centre for the first time and Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray continue their half-back pairing.
Rob Kearney, who scored two tries against Canada when they visited Thomond Park in 2008, heads up a back-three combination that includes his younger brother Dave on the right wing and Keith Earls on the left.
Sean Cronin, fit-again prop Cian Healy, Nathan White, Donnacha Ryan, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan and Simon Zebo will all be aiming to have an impact off the bench in Cardiff.
Commenting on Henshaw’s injury and the team selection, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt said: “Robbie, right at the end of training on Tuesday, felt his hamstring tighten a little. We got it scanned, there’s a bit of blood there. Okay to walk and jog, but he does feel tightness and it would be a risk to push him. He should be okay for next Sunday (against Romania).
“This time four years ago, Luke was starting at number 12 for Leinster. He’s had a fair bit of game-time for me at 12 and we have confidence in him. He has played at number 13 in the pre-World Cup matches and deserves his opportunity.
“Going back two years, Dave Kearney was exceptional. Andrew Trimble too, but unfortunately he was right in the frame and picked up a second injury and the time-frames were tight. Dave was playing well and deserves an opportunity.
“Iain Henderson has played very, very well but Devin Toner has done a super job for us over last two years, and there is going to be a real contest (for the second row spot).”
Meanwhile, experienced Clermont Auvergne lock Jamie Cudmore will captain Canada for his first time at a Rugby World Cup. Regular skipper Tyler Ardron (knee) is unavailable for selection due to injury, along with full-back Harry Jones (shoulder).
Veteran Hubert Buydens starts at loosehead prop with Doug Wooldridge at tighthead, and Ray Barkwill gets the nod at hooker. Cudmore will partner Brett Beukeboom at lock, while Kyle Gilmour and John Moonlight join Aaron Carpenter – Canada’s second most-capped player of all-time – in the back row.
Carpenter and Buydens are two of three players who have played in all seven of Canada’s Test matches this summer. The other, Djustice Sears-Duru, is named to the bench.
Gordon McRorie will partner Nathan Hirayama at half-back, with Nick Blevins combining with Ciaran Hearn in the centre. There is an all UK-based back-three as the Scarlets’ DTH van der Merwe and Jeff Hassler of the Ospreys feature on the wings and Cornish Pirates clubman Matt Evans lines out at full-back.
Eight members of the Canadian team will be making their Rugby World Cup debuts on Saturday – Barkwill, Wooldridge, Beukeboom, Gilmour, Moonlight, McRorie, Blevins and Hassler.
It is World Cup number three for both Carpenter and van der Merwe. The pair played in all eight matches at the 2007 and 2011 tournaments in France and New Zealand respectively.
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster) (capt), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Nathan White (Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster).
CANADA: Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates); Jeff Hassler (Ospreys), Ciaran Hearn (Unattached/Atlantic Rock), Nick Blevins (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack), DTH van der Merwe (Scarlets); Nathan Hirayama (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears), Gordon McRorie (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack); Hubert Buydens (Unattached/Prairie Wolf Pack), Ray Barkwill (Unattached/Ontario Blues), Doug Wooldridge (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues), Brett Beukeboom (Cornish Pirates), Jamie Cudmore (Clermont Auvergne) (capt), Kyle Gilmour (Rotherham Titans/Prairie Wolf Pack), John Moonlight (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues), Aaron Carpenter (Cornish Pirates/Ontario Blues).
Replacements: Benoit Piffero (Unattached/Atlantic Rock), Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville Crusaders/Ontario Blues), Andrew Tiedemann (Unattached/Prairie Wolf Pack), Jebb Sinclair (London Irish/Atlantic Rock), Richard Thorpe (London Welsh), Phil Mack (James Bay AA/BC Bears), Liam Underwood (Balmy Beach RFC/Ontario Blues), Conor Trainor (UBCOB Ravens/BC Bears).
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Television Match Official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 1/500; Draw: 100/1; Canada to win: 75/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Joe Schmidt (Ireland) – “We probably read different things into warm-up games. We did a lot of good things against Wales, we had two chances to score in the first five minutes on the edges, creating a couple of really good overlaps. We probably got a couple of decisions that didn’t go our way as well, particularly at scrum time, and felt we were very strong at scrum time against Wales.
“We demonstrated that against England where they stayed square and it was a really good pushing contest, so there were a number of things through the warm-up games we felt we got a bit of confidence in and there were some things that we know we need to improve on.
“We dont normally leak as many tackles as we did, we don’t normally give as much ball back as we did – we committed 12 turnovers in the first half against England – that’s something we cannot afford to do to Canada.
“Canada have guys who can turn a game around very quickly – the likes of DTH van Der Merwe and Matt Evans from full-back, and certainly Jeff Hassler on the wing, and a number of other players through the forward pack.
“They have a number of guys who play Sevens and they are very used to that turnover-attack, guys like (John) Moonlight – and they have power as well, I know Jamie Cudmore well from Clermont days. That mix for us means we cannot afford to give them turnover ball because they will play effectively off it.”
Kieran Crowley (Canada) – “Ireland have a very strong set piece and their kicking game is very good too. They are also very good at contesting the ball. We also need to be aware of the accuracy of Conor Murray and the kicking of Johnyy Sexton. At this level there are no real weaknesses.
“Sometimes they might creak a bit, but with Ireland, up until last week they were number two in the world. They were not in that position for nothing and Joe Schmidt’s teams are always well coached.
“We want to win it. You don’t go out there to keep the score down or anything like that. Obviously they are huge favourites, but we have done all our prep and we have worked hard during our build-up. We will go out there and give it a good crack.
“Only after we have analysed the game will we decide whether or not it’s been a success. It’s all about the process and performance. We’re not going out there to make up the numbers. We might not get too many opportunities, but if they come our way, we will have to take them.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v Canada
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Millennium Stadium
Ireland v Canada – RWC Stat Attack
Cudmore Seems To Get Better With Age – O’Connell
Murray: We’re Excited And Ready To Get Going
Recent Meetings –
2008: Autumn Test: Ireland 55 Canada 0, Thomond Park
2009: Summer Tour: Canada 6 Ireland 25, Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver
2013: Summer Tour: Canada 14 Ireland 40, BMO Stadium, Toronto
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder / #IRE / #RWC2015 / #IREvCAN on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
This website uses cookies.
Read More