Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Andy Farrell forced to make late change to Ireland team for All Blacks clash

Andy Farrell was forced to make a late change to his Ireland team for their opening test against New Zealand due to Covid-19.

Finlay Bealham has been ruled out of the game due to the virus having been named on the bench.

His absence sees Cian Healy switch to No.17, with Tom O'Toole promoted to the bench.

READ MORE: New Zealand v All Ireland LIVE updates

It comes after Mack Hansen was already ruled out of the game after testing positive for Covid-19.

New Zealand have also had Covid problems of their own, with their head coach Ian Foster and his assistants John Plumtree, Scott McLeod and Greg Feek forced to isolate, while players David Havili, Jack Goodhue and Will Jordan will miss the game after contracting the virus.

Finlay Bealham (©INPHO/Billy Stickland)

This has led to an early call-up for Joe Schmidt, who was due to join the All Blacks setup following the tour but was fast-tracked to help with preparations.

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.