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.
Conor Murray is set to earn his 100th cap for Ireland and is one of just five players in the run-on 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.
Your Ireland Match Day Squad to face the Springboks at a sold-out Aviva Stadium! ?
Johnny Sexton will captain the team for the @bankofireland Nations Series opener, with Conor Murray set to win his 100th Test cap ⬇️#TeamOfUs | #IREvSA
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 3, 2022
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 Springbok for the British & Irish Lions in the 2021 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 there are first senior-level outings for 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 against the reigning world champions.Robert Baloucoune missed the summer tour of New Zealand through injury but started against both the Griquas and the Cheetahs for Emerging Ireland last month.Captain Johnny Sexton will make his 109th appearance for Ireland this Saturday, becoming the country’s fifth most-capped player of all time.Nathan Doak, Tom Stewart and Stewart Moore have now joined the extended squad.
Another day closer! ?#TeamOfUs | #IREvSA pic.twitter.com/NLGgJi2r26
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 3, 2022
Ireland v South Africa in the Bank of Ireland Autumn Series will take place at the Aviva Stadium, Saturday 5th November 2022, with kick-off at 5.30 pm.15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 23 caps14. Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 2 caps13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 60 caps11. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 6 caps10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 108 caps CAPTAIN9. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 99 caps1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 46 caps2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 10 caps3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 60 caps4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 33 caps5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 46 caps6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 87 caps7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 20 capsReplacements16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 28 caps17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 118 caps18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 25 caps19. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 8 caps20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 30 caps21. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 20 caps22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 35 caps23. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 6 caps
