Andy Farrell and Jonathan Sexton spoke to media today following the announcement of the Ireland team to play Romania on the opening weekend of Rugby World Cup 2023.
Sexton returns to captain an experienced side that also includes rising star Joe McCarthy who will hin his 4th cap on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking about the selection Farrell said, “He deserves it. The form that he’s shown, not just in the games that he’s played but also in his preparation over the last ten or eleven weeks. He’s really progressed his game and he gets an opportunity to start in the first game of the World Cup.”
Ireland Team & Replacements (v Romania, Stade de Bordeaux, Saturday, September 9)
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)(31)
14. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)(100)
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD)(52)
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians)(47)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(21)
10. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College)(captain)(113)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(26)
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)(54)
2. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)(37)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)(67)
4. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)(3)
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD)(55)
6. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne)(41)
7. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)(96)
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College)(31)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne)(21)
17. Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen)(3)
18. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch)(11)
19. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)(74)
20. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)(52)
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen)(107)
22. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)(6)
23. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)(65)