The Ireland coaching team have named the Match Day 23 to take on reigning world champions South Africa in the opening fixture of the Bank of Ireland Nations Series at Aviva Stadium on Saturday at 19h30
Conor Murray is set to earn his 100th cap for Ireland and is one of just five players in the starting team that started the last game between the two sides in 2017. Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw, Peter O’Mahony and Johnny Sexton were the other players to start against the Springbok five years ago.
Cian Healy, who is named on the bench for Saturday’s game, also started the 2017 game while Rob Herring, James Ryan and Joey Carbery were among the replacements that day.
Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan have never played for Ireland against South Africa but featured against the Springboks for the British and Irish Lions in the 2021 Test Series. Furlong, Henshaw and Murray also played in that Test Series.
Finlay Bealham has experience of playing the Boks as he was a replacement in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on the 2016 Tour.
Whereas Robert Baloucoune, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson Park, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, Dan Sheehan, Kieran Treadwell and Josh van der Flier have never faced South Africa at senior level.
Baloucoune missed the Summer Tour of New Zealand through injury but started against both the Griquas and the Cheetahs for Emerging Ireland last month.
Ireland captain Sexton will make his 109th appearance for Ireland this Saturday, becoming the country’s fifth most capped player of all time pushing current Forwards Coach Paul O’Connell into sixth position.
Nathan Doak, Tom Stewart and Stewart Moore have now joined the extended squad.
Ireland: 15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Robert Baloucoune, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12.Robbie Henshaw, 11. Mack Hansen, 10. Johnny Sexton (c), 9. Conor Murray, 8. Caelan Doris, 7. Josh van der Flier, 6. Peter O’Mahony, 5. James Ryan, 4. Tadhg Beirne, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 2. Dan Sheehan, 1. Andrew Porter. Replacements: 16. Rob Herring, 17. Cian Healy, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. Kieran Treadwell, 20. Jack Conan, 21. Jamison Gibson Park, 22. Joey Carbery, 23. Stuart McCloskey.