Ireland Team For 1st Test Against All Blacks

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell has today (Thursday) announced the Ireland side that will take to the field at Eden Park in Auckland in the first Test of the three Test Series against New Zealand.

Tadhg Beirne returns from injury to make his first appearance since March with Keith Earls and Peter O’Mahony also starting. Joey Carbery and Conor Murray are named among the replacements.

Johnny Sexton captains the side and is partnered at half-back by Jamison Gibson Park. Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose line out in the centre with James Lowe and Keith Earls on the wings with Hugo Keenan at fullback.

Up front, Andrew Porter returns to the side having missed the final two games of this year’s Six Nations through injury.  He will pack down alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong with Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan at lock. Peter O’Mahony will fill the blindside flanker berth with Josh van der Flier at openside and Caelan Doris at No.8.

The replacements are Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Cian Healy, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Bundee Aki.

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports and RTÉ Radio.

Ireland Team To Face New Zealand

15 Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 20 caps

14 Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 96 caps

13 Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps

12 Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 57 caps

11 James Lowe (Leinster) 12 caps

10 Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 105 caps CAPTAIN

9 Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 17 caps

1 Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps

2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 7 caps

3 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 57 caps

4 Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 30 caps

5 James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps

6 Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 84 caps

7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps

8 Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 17 caps

Replacements

16 Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 6 caps

17 Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 23 caps

18 Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 116 caps

19 Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 5 caps

20 Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 27 caps

21 Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 96 caps

22 Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 32 caps

23 Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 37 caps

Ireland 2022 Summer Tour Fixtures

New Zealand v IRELAND

Eden Park, Auckland, Saturday 2nd July, 2022 (KO: 8.05am)

New Zealand v IRELAND

Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, Saturday 9th July, 2022 (KO: 8.05am)

Māori All Blacks v IRELAND

SKY Stadium, Wellington, Tuesday 12th July, 2022 (KO: 8.05am)

New Zealand v IRELAND

SKY Stadium, Wellington, Saturday 16th July, 2022 (KO: 8.05am)