Against Scotland, it was Sione Tuipulotu. Now, Australia must face a double threat from a couple of other would-be Wallabies who bounded away after Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen were both selected for Ireland for the Dublin showdown.
The big news in Ireland’s selection for Sunday’s clash (2:10am AEDT) at Lansdowne Road was coach Andy Farrell’s decision to stick with the exceptional young fly-half Sam Prendergast for the final match of the Wallabies’ tour after he had starred in his maiden Test in last weekend’s 52-17 win over Fiji.
But after Melbourne’s Tuipulotu, the former Australia Under-20 international, tormented Joe Schmidt’s side in Scotland’s win at Murrayfield, there’s also a couple of fresh Australian threats to concern him in the shape of Canberra pair Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham.
Hansen gets the nod on the Ireland wing after scoring twice in the Fiji Test, while 33-year-old prop Bealham, once an Australian schools international, keeps his place in the front row.
It promises to be an emotional day for the Irish, with their hugely popular prop Cian Healy set to pass Brian O’Driscoll as Ireland’s outright most-capped international presuming he comes off the bench.
That would be a 134th Test appearance for the 37-year-old, who made his debut against Australia 15 years ago.
“Cian is a giant of Irish rugby and we are determined to provide him with a performance that he deserves,” said coach Andy Farrell.
Aussie-born Mack Hansen will take on the Wallabies after keeping his spot on the wing. (Photo by Franco Arland/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
At the other end of the experience scale, Prendergast is selected ahead of Jack Crowley, who has been the first-choice No.10 since the retirement of Schmidt’s old maestro Johnny Sexton but has been consigned to a place on the bench on his return to action after being rested.
Farrell, who used to be Schmidt’s Ireland deputy, has made five personnel changes to his starting XV in his final match before his sabbatical to prepare for the much-anticipated British and Irish Lions tour in Australia.
Jamison Gibson-Park is back to partner Leinster teammate Prendergast, while wing James Lowe and fullback Hugo Keenan come in for injured pair Jacob Stockdale and Jamie Osborne.
Hooker Ronan Kelleher and lock James Ryan are restored to the pack in place of last week’s debutants Gus McCarthy, who drops to the bench, and Cormac Izuchukwu.
Tadhg Beirne reverts to blindside flanker to accommodate Ryan in the second row.
In a match organised as part of Irish rugby’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the hosts are seeking a third successive victory this month after bouncing back from defeat to New Zealand by beating Argentina and the Fijians.
Although Prendergast’s selection has surprised many in Ireland, Schmidt said he didn’t doubt the 21-year-old would step up if he had already earned the trust of Farrell.
“He’s at the apex of that group of young (Irish) players who are really exciting,” Schmidt said
“But again, he has got his debut against Fiji and I thought he did really well, and Faz must have thought he went alright as well, I suppose because he’s put him back in against us and that’s some real confidence.”
The former Irish coach, who built on the back of Michael Cheika’s fine work at Leinster before taking over the national side in 2013, has also has a brand new second-row combination following Will Skelton’s departure and brought back Fraser McReight at openside flanker.
It’s the first time Schmidt will have gone head-to-head with Farrell, having previously coached against Ireland as Ian Foster’s assistant in the lead up to the 2023 World Cup.
Ireland (1-15): Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (c), Jamison Gibson-Park, Sam Prendergast, James Lowe, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Mack Hansen Hugo Keenan
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/pwTrqW8 more Aussie threats for Wallabies in Ireland clash as Schmidt’s successor Farrell backs young gun in No.10 role
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