Irish speedster returns as Farrell makes wholesale changes for All Black Test
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Game-breaking winger Robert Baloucoune returns from injury among nine starting changes to an Ireland side named for their Nations Championship Test against New Zealand.
The players who run out to face the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday will feature just two differences from those who won their tour-opening match against Australia 33-31 two weeks ago.
From that Sydney match, Baloucoune comes onto the right wing, with Jimmy O’Brien shifting to the left wing and Jamie Osborne omitted.
Tadhg Beirne is restored to the blindside flank in place of Cian Prendergast to add further experience to a Test-hardened pack.
Veteran Munster forward Beirne came off the bench in Sydney as he was nursing a niggle.
The 34-year-old was deemed fit enough to be named captain for last week’s 36-20 win over Japan in Newcastle, when coach Andy Farrell chose to rest a number of his key players.
Ulster flyer Baloucoune had been named to start in Sydney but withdrew before kick-off with a hamstring strain, which also sidelined him from the Japan clash.
The 28-year-old burst onto the scene in this year’s Six Nations for runners-up Ireland, impressing with his speed and footwork, while scoring two tries.
The starting side features 11 players from the United Rugby Championship club Leinster.
It will be a third straight start for five players – O’Brien, midfielder Stuart McCloskey, loose forward Jack Conan, lock James Ryan and prop Tom O’Toole.
Hooker Dan Sheehan returns to captain the side in the injury absence of regular skipper Caelan Doris, who missed the tour with injury.
New Zealand and Ireland, ranked second and third in the world, have both won two-from-two matches in the Nations Championship.
Earlier this week, Farrell said his side would need to unearth the “performance of our lives” if they were to become the first side to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park since 1994.
Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jimmy O’Brien, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadgh Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Tom O’Toole.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Nick Timoney, 20 Sean Jansen, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Bundee Aki.
Date: Saturday, July 18
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19.10 (08.10 IST; 07.10 GMT)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos (France), Damon Murphy (Australia)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
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