Bank Of Ireland Nations Series: Ireland v Italy

The road to France begins in earnest with Ireland’s first run-out of the Bank of Ireland Nations Series, as Andy Farrell’s men entertain Italy exactly five weeks out from the start of the Rugby World Cup.

2023 BANK OF IRELAND NATIONS SERIES:

Saturday, August 5 –

IRELAND v ITALY, Aviva Stadium, 8pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/Amazon Prime Video/Sky Sport Italia Summer & TV8/RTÉ Radio 1 Extra/IRFU Live Blog)

Tickets for tonight’s game can be purchased online here, with children’s tickets available from €10.

Team News: Back in action at the Aviva Stadium, Iain Henderson will captain Ireland for the second time in his career, having previously led the team against France in February 2021.

The Ulster star wins his 73rd cap for his country, partnering Joe McCarthy in the second row. McCarthy made his debut off the bench against Australia last year, so this marks the 22-year-old’s first international start.

Ryan Baird, Caelan Doris and Jack Conan form an all-Leinster back row, while the starting front row will be David Kilcoyne alongside Ulster duo Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole.

Keith Earls, who finished last season as a United Rugby Championship winner with Munster, is set to make his 99th appearance for Ireland. He starts on the right wing in a back-three which includes Jimmy O’Brien and Jacob Stockdale.

Craig Casey (24) will form an all-Munster half-back partnership with the 23-year-old Jack Crowley, with Stuart McCloskey lining up alongside Robbie Henshaw in midfield.

Ciaran Frawley, Calvin Nash and Tom Stewart are in line for their Ireland debuts off the bench. Also selected as replacements as props Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, flanker Cian Prendergast, lock Tadhg Beirne and scrum half Caolin Blade.

Speaking ahead of the opening World Cup warm-up fixture, head coach Farrell said: “It’s about the performance. I wouldn’t say we’re experimenting. You win World Cups because of the strength of your squad so we’re trying to find out of people that have done so well to get picked in the initial 42 and now they’ve got the opportunity to represent the group.

“They know the expectation of how we want to play and what’s acceptable and what’s not. They get to represent the group first up and we’ll see how they go.

“We’re at a stage where we’re all gagging for a game and you are judging constantly how preparation is going and trying to balance that out with a side that’s got the experience and youth that you’re able to put a side out at the weekend to judge properly.

“I’m 100% sure there are some individuals that will take the field saying to themselves that, ‘this a big chance and big opportunity for me’.

“You’ve got to surround those people with good enough experienced players as well to be able to judge them properly, so we’re looking forward to that.”

Players’ names will appear on the back of the Ireland Men’s match jerseys for the first time tonight. Farrell’s charges will wear their new Canterbury home match kit as preparations for the World Cup step up a gear.

Meanwhile, Italy head coach Kieran Crowley has included two debutants in his starting XV – Benetton winger Paolo Odogwu and Harlequins lock Dino Lamb – to face Grand Slam winners Ireland.

The English-born pair are two of the nine personnel changes to the Italian team that lost 25-13 to Scotland last Saturday. Only Tommaso Allan, who moves to full-back, Tommaso Menoncello and Monty Ioane, their try scorer against Scots, are retained in the back-line.

Paolo Garbisi and Gloucester’s Stephen Varney team up at half-back, with Benetton’s Federico Ruzza, who reverts to the second row, captaining his country for just the second time. Sebastian Negri slots back in on the blindside.

Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera and Marco Riccioni combine in a freshened-up front row, with Zebre Parma prop Paolo Buonfiglio standing by to win his first cap. Regular skipper Michele Lamaro is also one of the bench options for Crowley.