Ireland are back at the Aviva Stadium for the first time since March as a new-look squad look to open the GUINNESS Series by defeating Canada and building on last week’s historic result against New Zealand.
2016 GUINNESS SERIES: Saturday, November 12
IRELAND v CANADA, Aviva Stadium, 7.15pm (live RTÉ 2/Sky Sports 3 HD/ RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Peter O’Mahony will captain Ireland in the GUINNESS Series opener against Canada in his first outing in a green shirt since last year’s Rugby World Cup. There are three uncapped players in the new-look team and a further five named in the replacements.
O’Mahony, who skippered Ireland to two wins during the 2013 summer tour of North America, is joined in the back row by Sean O’Brien and the uncapped Jack O’Donoghue.
O’Brien returns to the openside berth for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury against France last February, while the 22-year-old O’Donoghue from Waterford will pack down at number 8.
O’Donoghue’s Munster colleague Billy Holland will also make his Ireland debut, featuring in the second row alongside Ultan Dillane, who turned 23 yesterday and is set for his first start in seven international appearances.
Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Finlay Bealham – last week’s replacement front row from the historic win over New Zealand – are promoted from the bench to line out together from the off, with Connacht prop Bealham making his maiden Test start.
In the backs, Kieran Marmion has been handed his first start in the number 9 jersey after six caps as a replacement. He will be partnered at half-back by fellow 24-year-old Paddy Jackson, who kicked 40 points during the recent summer tour of South Africa.
There are new combinations at centre and in the back-three too, as Leinster’s Garry Ringrose makes his Test bow alongside Luke Marshall, and Connacht’s Tiernan O’Halloran – selected at full-back for his second start since June – is flanked by returning wingers Craig Gilroy and Keith Earls.
The five potential debutants on the Irish bench are Leinster’s James Tracy, Dan Leavy and Luke McGrath, Connacht’s flying winger Niyi Adeolokun and Munster prop John Ryan. The latter’s provincial colleague, in-form loosehead Dave Kilcoyne is poised for only his second cap since August 2015, and Donnacha Ryan and Joey Carbery – two members of the winning squad against New Zealand – complete the matchday 23.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has selected a youthful side, with Cronin and debutant lock Holland the only 30-somethings in the starting line-up. The back-line has an average age of 24.7, the forwards 27 and the bench 25.5.
Meanwhile, captained by Aaron Carpenter, the Canadian matchday squad features a wealth of experience including the return of DTH van der Merwe, Brett Beukeboom, Conor Trainor and Connor Braid to the team.
“The boys have adapted well to what we want to do,” said head coach Mark Anscombe, the former Ulster boss. “We’re really looking forward to the game. We have to do well on Saturday so that we get credibility so that we can face off against other tier 1 teams in the future.”
The familiar trio of Djustice Sears-Duru, Ray Barkwill and Jake Ilnicki form Canada’s front row with Beukeboom joining Newcastle Falcon Evan Olmstead in the second row.
Kyle Baillie and Lucas Rumball start in the flanker positions while Carpenter will earn his 75th cap from the number 8 position, leaving him one cap behind Al Charron’s Canadian record of 76.
Gordon McRorie starts at scrum half and Victoria, BC, native Braid gets the nod at out-half. Van der Merwe and Taylor Paris will man the wings with Trainor and Ciaran Hearn starting together in the centre. Cornish Pirates clubman Matt Evans features at full-back.
Admir Cejvanovic is named on the bench and will earn his first Test cap if he is introduced. Phil Mack, who retired from the Canadian Sevens team earlier this year and has not played for the 15s team since last year’s Rugby World Cup, is also named as a replacement.
IRELAND: Tiernan O’Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht); Craig Gilroy (Bangor/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster).
Replacements: James Tracy (UCD/Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Niyi Adeolokun (Galwegians/Connacht).
CANADA: Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates); DTH van der Merwe (Scarlets), Conor Trainor (RC Vannes/BC Bears), Ciaran Hearn (London Irish), Taylor Paris (Agen); Connor Braid (James Bay AA/BC Bears), Gordon McRorie (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack); Djustice Sears-Duru (Glasgow Warriors/Ontario Blues), Ray Barkwill (Castaway Wanderers/Ontario Blues), Jake Ilnicki (Manawatu Turbos/BC Bears), Brett Beukeboom (Cornish Pirates), Evan Olmstead (Newcastle Falcons/Prairie Wolf Pack), Kyle Baillie (Westshore RFC/Atlantic Rock), Lucas Rumball (Balmy Beach RFC/Ontario Blues), Aaron Carpenter (London Welsh/Ontario Blues) (capt).
Replacements: Eric Howard (Brantford Harlequins/Ontario Blues), Rob Brouwer (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues), Matt Tierney (Section Paloise/Ontario Blues), Admir Cejvanovic (Burnaby Lake RFC/BC Bears), Matt Heaton (Darlington Mowden Park/Atlantic Rock), Phil Mack (James Bay AA/BC Bears), Patrick Parfrey (James Bay AA/Atlantic Rock), Nick Blevins (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack).
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England), Thomas Charabas (France)
Television Match Official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 1/100; Draw: 100/1; Canada to win: 22/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Ireland) – “You never take it for granted anytime you get selected in an Irish team. I’m a very proud Irishman and I’d certainly never take it for granted, but when you get picked as a captain, it’s always very special. It’s a huge honour and I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve been picked as captain, now I’ve got to go and lead through my performance. Days of shouting and roaring are long gone. You’ve got a leadership group there who have met once over the last week, there’s other guys who drive it.
“Young guys there have enough they have to worry about, so we’ve got to go out and put down a performance (on Saturday) that will make others around us feel good and play well. That’s all we’re worried about as a fifteen.
“They (the new caps) were very calm during the week. It’s a new group, a young group. A new cap is always a special time in a player’s career and I think they’ll enjoy the week. They’re ready to get stuck in and I think it’s well deserved – the new caps that are starting and that are on the bench.
“They’ve all shown great form over the past two to three months since the season kicked off, so obviously it’s an exciting squad that’s in for tomorrow. I think the lads set a tone last week and there’s opportunities for 1 to 15 and guys coming off the bench to stick their hand up and put in a big performance against a very experienced Canadian side.”
Mark Anscombe (Canada) – “We’re clearly the underdogs, but look at all sport around the world and underdogs do come through. There are surprises and upsets every week. Who expected the All Blacks to lose that 18-match winning streak? And bang, they got absolutely smashed.
“That’s what happens sometimes. That’s the beauty of sport and that’s why people turn out and watch it. What success is for us is being able to execute what we can do.
“We’ve got to believe in ourselves. There will be 50,000 people here and perhaps not one of them will believe we can win. So we’ve got to believe it, and if we don’t we won’t do ourselves justice.
“I think a lot’s been done to progress the game, but to grow you need at least one tier 1 game a year, and that’s going to help us if we’re truly going to develop the game around the world.
“Another big key for us is getting more of our players playing more consistently at a higher level of rugby. Games like this are a showcase, and hopefully clubs come knocking and a few more guys can get off and join clubs in Europe.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v Canada
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At The Aviva Stadium
In Pics: Ireland Training At Carton House
Extra Footage From ‘Irish Rugby: What We Did Last Summer’
Recent Meetings –
2009: Summer Tour: Canada 6 Ireland 25, Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver
2013: Summer Tour: Canada 14 Ireland 40, BMO Stadium, Toronto
2015: Rugby World Cup Pool D: Ireland 50 Canada 7, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #TeamOfUs, #ShouldertoShoulder and #IREvCAN on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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