IRFU Live Blog: Ireland v Wales
Join us for live text commentary of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales at the Aviva Stadium today (kick-off 3pm), as new captain Rory Best leads the defending champions into battle.
On the couch, in the clubhouse, on the move? You can follow all the action from Ireland v Wales with our IRFU Live Blog this afternoon.
If you don’t have a ticket for Ireland’s much-anticipated showdown with the Welsh (kick-off 3pm), you can keep track of the game on our IRFU Live Blog, featuring:
– Live match updates and all the build-up from the Aviva Stadium
– Your tweets and photos
– Post-match reaction from Joe Schmidt and the players
Download the #ShouldertoShoulder Match Day App
Today’s round 1 match in Dublin is being broadcast live on RTÉ Two, ITV/UTV, RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio Ulster. You can follow every tackle and try on the IRFU Live Blog – #ShouldertoShoulder and #IREvWAL.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt hands a Test debut to 25-year-old Munster back rower CJ Stander, while Connacht prop Nathan White makes his first RBS 6 Nations appearance. Two other players new to the Championship are named on the bench – Tadhg Furlong and Kieran Marmion.
Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton start together at half-back for the 30th time. Rory Best leads Ireland for the fifth occasion, but the first since 2012 against England, while four of the starting line-up did not feature at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The Ireland team has 507 Test caps between them, the bench has a further 136 caps. The average age of the walk-on team is 29.3 years and the average on the bench is 26.6.