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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Ireland team to play All Blacks: Andy Farrell names starting XV for first test in New Zealand

Andy Farrell has named his starting XV for Ireland's first test with the All Blacks.

Ireland face New Zealand in the first of three tests in Auckland on Saturday, with the match kicking off at 8.05am Irish time.

Johnny Sexton captains the side and is partnered at half-back by Jamison Gibson Park. Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose line out in the centre with James Lowe and Keith Earls, who is the sole survivor from the side that lost to the Maori All Blacks, on the wings with Hugo Keenan at fullback.

READ MORE:Live updates as Ireland team to play New Zealand named

Up front, Andrew Porter returns to the side having missed the final two games of this year’s Six Nations through injury. He will pack down alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong with Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan at lock. Peter O’Mahony will fill the blindside flanker berth with Josh van der Flier at openside and Caelan Doris at No.8.

The replacements are Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Cian Healy, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Bundee Aki.

Farrell expressed his disappointment after Ireland's defeat to the Maori All Blacks on Wednesday, but added that he was proud of his players.

“We’re disappointed, the boys are disappointed, obviously,” he said.

“They feel they could have given a better account of themselves, certainly in the first half. The Maori team 100 per cent deservedly won that game.

“But I’m proud of the boys, the way they came back. It could have been a landslide with the way the score was at half-time.

“The way that some of the individuals have learned, stood up, done some unbelievably good stuff and then some really poor stuff on the back of that is brilliant learnings.

“In all, it’s a good day for us in regards to lads learning lessons and knowing that if we fix a few things, especially discipline-wise, we can give a better account of ourselves in the next game.”

Ireland team

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 20 caps
14. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 96 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 57 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 12 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 105 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 17 caps

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 7 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 57 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 30 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 84 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 17 caps

Replacements

16. Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 6 caps
17. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 23 caps
18. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 116 caps
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 5 caps
20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 27 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 96 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 32 caps
23. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 37 caps

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