Ireland will field a mix of experienced campaigners and eager youngsters when they return to Test action against the USA Eagles at New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena tonight (kick-off 5pm local time/10pm Irish time).
SUMMER TOUR TEST: Saturday, June 10
USA v IRELAND, Red Bull Arena, New Jersey, 5pm local time/10pm Irish time (live eir Sport 2/Premier Sports/NBC Sports Network/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Winger Jacob Stockdale will win his first Ireland cap against the USA at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, with four more potential debutants on the Irish bench.
Rhys Ruddock will captain a youthful Ireland team from the blindside flank, the side selected by head coach Joe Schmidt having an average age of 25 and including two 21-year-olds in debutant Stockdale and Joey Carbery.
Powerful Ulster back Stockdale, who finished the recent GUINNESS PRO12 season with nine tries, gets a chance to impress on the left wing, making his international debut in a back-three that also contains the experienced Keith Earls and Tiernan O’Halloran, who is set for his third start at full-back.
Garry Ringrose and Luke Marshall, the same centre pairing from last November’s home win over Canada, will man the Irish midfield this weekend, while Carbery will make his first start in the number 10 jersey alongside Connacht’s Kieran Marmion.
Cian Healy, who is the most experienced member of the squad with 67 caps, will combine with Munster duo Niall Scannell and John Ryan in the front row, with Corkman Ryan making his first start at tighthead after appearing as a replacement in Ireland’s last five games.
Connacht powerhouse Quinn Roux will win his second cap alongside Devin Toner in the second row, while Jack Conan, who comes in for his first Test appearance in almost two years, forms an all-Leinster back row with Ruddock and Josh van der Flier.
It will be the fit-again Ruddock’s first international outing in almost a year, and a night to remember for the 26-year-old and his family as he becomes Ireland’s 105th captain at senior level. He is the fourth back rower to skipper the side in recent seasons, following in the footsteps of Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony and Sean O’Brien.
Andrew Porter and James Ryan are standing by to make their debuts as replacements, just a year on from helping the Ireland Under-20s to a runners-up finish at the World Rugby U-20 Championship. Stockdale was also part of that side.
Connacht hooker Dave Heffernan and Munster back Rory Scannell are poised to make their international bows too, with the matchday 23 completed by Dave Kilcoyne, Simon Zebo and Leinster pair Dan Leavy and Luke McGrath who have two caps each.
Today’s clash between the US Eagles and Ireland kicks off at 5pm local time/10pm Irish time and will be broadcast live on eir Sport 2 in Ireland and Premier Sports in the UK.
Meanwhile, AJ MacGinty, Connacht’s GUINNESS PRO12 title-winning out-half from 2015/16, is one of three Irish-raised players in the USA team to face Ireland.
Cork pair John Quill and Paddy Ryan are also included by USA head coach John Mitchell, with Quill winning cap number 21 at blindside flanker and recent call-up Ryan, the Chicago-born brother of former Munster props Timmy and Dave Ryan, set to make his debut as a replacement.
A relatively inexperienced Eagles side is captained by scrum half Nate Augspurger with 115 caps among the starting XV, as they prepare to play Ireland on American soil for the first time since a 15-12 defeat in Houston four years ago.
Augspurger and ex-Connacht out-half MacGinty lead a back-line that features Sevens star Martin Iosefo and seven-try international Mike Te’o out wide, while Western Force’s Marcel Brache will win his second cap at centre for the reigning Americas Rugby Championship title holders.
Tighthead Chris Baumann, who played three times at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, forms the front row with All-Americans Peter Malcolm and Ben Tarr who are both 23. Behind them is the mobile second row duo of Nate Brakeley and Nic Civetta who impressed together during the spring’s Americas Rugby Championship.
Former Dolphin clubman Quill is the most experienced member of the team with 20 caps. He will be looking to make an impact in the back row alongside the New Zealand-born Tony Lamborn, who has scored five tries in seven Tests, and David Tameilau.
USA: Ben Cima (Rocky Gorge RFC); Mike Te’o (Unattached), Ryan Matyas (Old Blue of New York), Marcel Brache (Western Force), Martin Iosefo (University of Montana/USA Eagles Sevens); AJ MacGinty (Sale Sharks), Nate Augspurger (Old Blue of New York) (capt); Ben Tarr (Glendale Raptors), Peter Malcolm (Austin Huns), Chris Baumann (Austin Blacks), Nate Brakeley (New York Athletic Club), Nick Civetta (Newcastle Falcons), John Quill (Glendale Raptors), Tony Lamborn (Hawke’s Bay), David Tameilau (RC Narbonne).
Replacements: James Hilterbrand (Manly), Joe Taufete’e (Worcester Warriors), Paddy Ryan (Newcastle Falcons), Matthew Jensen (Brigham Young University), Andrew Durutalo (Ealing Trailfinders), Shaun Davies (Glendale Raptors), Will Magie (Glendale Raptors), Bryce Campbell (Glendale Raptors).
IRELAND: Tiernan O’Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht), Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster).
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Chris Assmus (Canada)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): USA to win: 14/1; Draw: 70/1; Ireland to win: 1/33
Pre-Match Quotes: Rhys Ruddock (Ireland) – “Nothing has changed, no matter where we’re playing or who we’re playing against. The fact that we’re in a different country, we’ve managed to prepare in the same way. Our week has been pretty much the same despite the travel.
“We’ve had a really good week of training. The intensity had to be high to get used to the conditions and make sure that we know what to expect. We know what to expect. We know what it’s going to be like playing in these conditions. We know the intensity that the USA are going to bring.
“First and foremost, my focus (as captain) has been on delivering what’s expected in terms of the actions and what’s expected, how you train, how you recover, and all that sort of stuff. I’m just trying to set the example there.
“If there’s ever a time where any of the more experienced guys like myself or guys who have been in the environment a little bit more can offer words of advice or bring people along with you, that’s been done. There’s lot of leaders within the group who have stepped up and done that job throughout the last two weeks leading into the game now.”
AJ MacGinty (USA) – “It was just such a good year (with Connacht). Everything about that place just brings back such good memories. Everything about it was class.
“Obviously when I got this opportunity, got capped by America, I wondered would I ever play Ireland. Before the last World Cup I was wondering could it happen at the World Cup. I’m almost glad that didn’t happen. This is a good time to be playing Ireland but this is a good time to be playing for America.
“(USA coach) John Mitchell is going to be a big loss (when he leaves) but he has set benchmarks for us to aim towards. The stuff we are doing now is the elite of the elite, to my knowledge. It is all the work being done by New Zealand’s Super Rugby teams and they are dominating the game down there.
“Our training and everything we do is based on what they are doing. We are looking to play a fast-paced game. This is our first game so it is hard to say but normally when it’s Ireland against America at the 50 or 60-minute mark the Americans drop off and Ireland take over and finish out the game. I don’t think you will see that this time around.”
Pre-Match Links –
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Red Bull Arena
Summer Tour Is About Short And Long Term – Schmidt
In Pics: Ireland Training In New Jersey
eir Sport And Premier Sports Secure TV Rights To Ireland’s Summer Tests
Recent Meetings –
2009: Setanta Challenge Cup: USA 10 Ireland 27, Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara
2011: Rugby World Cup Pool C: Ireland 22 USA 10, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
2013: Summer Tour Test: USA 12 Ireland 15, BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #TeamOfUs, #ShouldertoShoulder and #USAvIRE on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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