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Ireland XV to play Japan shows 11 changes from win over England

(Photo by PA)

Andy Farrell has changed eleven of the starting Ireland XV to face Japan this Saturday in Dublin 15 weeks after England were beaten at the Aviva Stadium in the final round of the Guinness Six Nations. The four starters who remain from that impressive March victory are Hugo Keenan, Jacob Stockdale, Dave Kilcoyne and Josh van der Flier.

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With Ireland having seven players away with the Lions in South Africa, CJ Stander now retired and veteran pair Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls both given the summer off, Farrell was always going to make wholesale changes to his line-up.

One familiar face who is back in the mix, however, is James Ryan. He missed the finale to the Six Nations with a concussion and while a soft tissue injury last week ruled him out from consideration by the Lions to possibly replace the injured Alun Wyn Jones over the weekend, he has now shaken off that injury and will skipper the team against the Japanese.

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Conor Murray gives his first interview as Lions tour captain in South Africa

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Conor Murray gives his first interview as Lions tour captain in South Africa

Four of the bench from the England win are also promoted to the starting line-up – Ronan Kelleher, who was with the Lions for their training camp in Jersey, Peter O’Mahony, Jamison Gibson-Park and Jordan Larmour.

The most exciting inclusion, however, is the restoration of Joey Carbery at out-half following his horrible run of injury. The 25-year-old earned the last of his 22 caps in the October 2019 World Cup quarter-final hammering by New Zealand.

Other intriguing XV selections are Finlay Bealham, Caelan Doris and Stuart McCloskey. Bealham had a terrible afternoon at the scrum when he was last capped versus Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup, Doris has managed to overcome a worrying layoff with concussion while McCloskey is also back in the mix following the problems caused for him by the Georgians eight months ago.

John Ryan and Rob Herring are the most experienced players on an experimental bench where back-rower Gavin Coombes is set for a debut cap

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IRELAND (vs Japan, Saturday)
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
14. Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 29 caps
13. Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 34 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 22 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 9 caps
1. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 43 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 14 caps
4. Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 18 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps captain
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 75 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 31 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/UCD) 7 caps

Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 21 caps
17. Ed Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 4 caps
18. John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 23 caps
19. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 3 caps
20. Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
21. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 1 cap
22. Billy Burns (Ulster) 6 caps
23. Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution) 1 cap

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AM 39 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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