Rugby
Farrell sticks with 5-3 bench for Bok Test─── 16:27 Thu, 21 Sep 2023
“Even with a five-three split, you can’t cover everything. But you need to be adaptable, which is something we have worked hard at with our planning over the last few years. They have done exactly the same with the seven-one split. I love it,”
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named his match-23 for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Pool B showdown against the Springboks at the Stade de France in Paris, where Bundee Aki is set to win his 50th Test cap.
After opening wins over Romania and Tonga, Ireland continue their Pool B campaign against the defending champions in Paris on Saturday night.
Aki, who made his Ireland debut against the Boks in November 2017, partners Garry Ringrose in midfield for the third consecutive match.
Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe continue in the back three, with captain Jonathan Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park named at flyhalf and scrumhalf respectively.
Farrell has named an unchanged pack from last weekend’s defeat of Tonga in Nantes. Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan in the second row. Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris complete the starting XV.
Dan Sheehan has returned to fitness to be named on the replacements bench alongside forwards David Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson and Ryan Baird, while Conor Murray, Jack Crowley and Robbie Henshaw provide the backline reinforcements.
Springboks - 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements - 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Kwagga Smith, 23 Cobus Reinach
Ireland - 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (captain), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 James Ryan, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlon, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements - 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 David Kilcoyne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 Robbie Henshaw
