Bealham starts for Ireland as Furlong misses All Blacks clash

IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has named Finlay Bealham to start at tighthead prop in his team to face New Zealand in Friday night’s autumn Test in Dublin [KO 8.10pm, Virgin/TNT], with Tadhg Furlong ruled out through injury.

33-year-old Connacht man Bealham gets his chance in the number three shirt after Furlong suffered an injury during Ireland’s training camp in Portugal.

Farrell has welcomed scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, fullback Hugo Keenan, and right wing Mack Hansen back into his starting XV after all three missed the tour of South Africa in July.

Hansen hasn’t played for Ireland since last year’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Paris, having been sidelined by a shoulder injury for the second half of last season.

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Bundee Aki is another player who returns to Ireland’s starting side, having been dropped for the second Test in South Africa, with Robbie Henshaw missing out on the matchday 23 altogether as versatile 22-year-old Jamie Osborne covers the outside backs from the bench.

Bealham makes up the Irish front row with loosehead prop Andrew Porter and hooker Rónan Kelleher, who has overcome an ankle injury to start against the Kiwis.

Joe McCarthy and James Ryan continue in the second row, while the back row of Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, and captain Caelan Doris is also unchanged from that second Test against the Springboks nearly four months ago.

Gibson-Park partners Jack Crowley in the halfbacks, Aki teams up with Garry Ringrose in midfield, while James Lowe completes the back three alongside Keenan and Hansen.

The Irish bench includes hooker Rob Herring, who has yet to play this season due to a calf injury, while his Ulster team-mate Tom O’Toole gets an opportunity with Bealham promoted into the starting side.

Iain Henderson – another to miss the South Africa tour – is back among the replacements, while Peter O’Mahony remains in the number 20 shirt after his comeback from a hamstring injury for Munster last weekend. Conor Murray gets the nod ahead of Craig Casey as back-up scrum-half. 

Ireland (v New Zealand):

15. Hugo Keenan
14. Mack Hansen
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Bundee Aki
11. James Lowe
10. Jack Crowley
9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Joe McCarthy
5. James Ryan
6. Tadhg Beirne
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Caelan Doris (captain)

Replacements:

16. Rob Herring
17. Cian Healy
18. Tom O’Toole
19. Iain Henderson
20. Peter O’Mahony
21. Conor Murray
22. Ciarán Frawley
23. Jamie Osborne