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Six changes for Ireland as Andy Farrell names team to host Italy
By Liam Heagney
Andy Farrell has decided to rejig his Ireland team for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations match with Italy in Dublin, making six changes from the XV that comfortably picked off France in round one.
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The Irish were 38-17 winners in Marseille last Friday and the reaction has been to go with two backline alterations and four in their pack.
In the backs, the recalled Stuart McCloskey will form the midfield with Robbie Henshaw as Bundee Aki is rested while Craig Casey will start at scrum-half. Jamison Gibson-Park slips to the bench, with Conor Murray missing out.
Up front, Finlay Bealham is promoted from the replacements in place of the rested Tadhg Furlong, with Tom O’Toole named as the sub tighthead.
James Ryan, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan are other Marseille subs upgraded to the starting side, with Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony rested and Josh van der Flier providing cover along with Iain Henderson from a bench that on this occasion will have a five/three forwards/backs split.
In France, that balance was six/two but three backs have been named in this weekend’s replacements, Jordan Larmour joining Gibson-Park and Harry Byrne, who takes over the spot filled last time by Ciaran Frawley.
Last week’s No8 Caelan Doris will start at openside to accommodate Conan at No8 and Baird at blindside in the reshuffled back row. He will also be a first-time skipper, taking over the responsibility from the absent O’Mahony.
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Ireland (vs Italy, Sunday)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) (37)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster) (2)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) (68)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) (15)
11. James Lowe (Leinster) (27)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster) (10)
9. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) (13)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) (60)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster) (22)
3. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) (37)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster) (6)
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (60)
6. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) (16)
7. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster) (37) (captain)
8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) (42)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) (27)
17. Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster) (4)
18. Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster) (12)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) (79)
20. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) (58)
21. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) (31)
22. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster) (2)
23. Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) (30)
That’s actually a bigger pack than the one picked last week with a back five of very big carriers. Would like to have seen Frawley getting more time off the bench as I’m not a fan of Byrne’s, but looking forward to seeing how Casey fares and seeing Larmour off the bench. Porter really needs to sort out his scrummaging, even if I think at the moment that he’s getting pinged on reputation a lot of the time. I thought Atonio at times last week was engaging at an angle with Porter forced to follow him inside, but even if I’m right he needs to work out how to get straight and show the refs a better picture.