LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2022
MUNSTER PROP JEREMY Loughman makes his Test debut as Tadhg Furlong captains Ireland against Fiji on Saturday (KO 1pm, Virgin Media).
Loughman, 27, who first played at Athy RFC and then Blackrock College, has made 76 appearances for Munster since 2017 and has been capped five times at U20 level. He also played against the Maori All Blacks in an uncapped game during Irelandโs summer tour to New Zealand.
Furlong is the 109th player to captain Ireland as he makes his 62nd Test appearance. While Furlong is not the first prop to captain his country, the last one to do so was Simon Best against Argentina in 2007.
Johnny Sexton first captained Ireland against Russia at the World Cup in Japan and was then made permanent captain following Andy Farrellโs appointment as Ireland head coach and Rory Bestโs retirement.
Since taking over as head coach, Farrell has given opportunities for the leadership group to wear the armband with James Ryan first captaining the side against England in 2020 and on three other subsequent occasions, while Iain Henderson led the group against France in 2021.
There are five players in the starting side to face Fiji that started games against the Maori All Blacks during the summer tour of New Zealand: Jimmy OโBrien, Stuart McCloskey, Jeremy Loughman, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney.
Tom OโToole, Cian Prendergast and Craig Casey, who are amongst the replacements for Saturdayโs game, also started matches in the Mฤori Series.
There are three uncapped players in the Match Day Squad โ Loughman, who starts at loosehead prop, Prendergast who is covering lock and Jack Crowley, who is cover out-half.
All three featured for Ireland โAโ against the All Blacks XV last weekend along with Max Deegan, who is named on the bench and is line for his second cap having made his debut against Wales in February 2020.
Deegan, Prendergast and Crowley were part of the Emerging Ireland tour to Bloemfontein.
Ireland team:
15. Jimmy OโBrien (Leinster) 1 cap
14. Robert Baloucoune (Ulster) 3 caps
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 60 caps
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 7 caps
11. Mack Hansen (Connacht/) 7 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Munster) 36 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 21 caps
1. Jeremy Loughman (Munster) uncapped
2. Rob Herring (Ulster) 29 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 61 caps, captain
4. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) 9 caps
5. Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 34 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster) 21 caps
7. Nick Timoney (Ulster) 2 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster) 31 caps
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 11 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster) 119 caps
18. Tom OโToole (Ulster) 3 caps
19. Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
20. Max Deegan (Leinster) 1 cap
21. Craig Casey (Munster) 5 caps
22. Jack Crowley (Munster) uncapped
23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
Quality selection! Looking forward to an exciting match at the weekend.
@John Thomas: I might have put Stockdale at 11 myself but Iโm just a sofa coach.
@John Thomas: yeah I was hoping heโd get a game too
@John Thomas: he was very poor in Ireland A game. Looks a shadow of his former self but hopefully thatโs something he can turnaround with more game time at Ulster
@BMJF: agreed, I was at it and he was so far off the pace and seemed many off his former self. Hopefully it was just an off day and he will show his worth.
@BMJF: Form is temporary, class is permanent.
@John Thomas: Couch or Coach?
@John Thomas: bit surprised he didnโt get a chance myself, unless they donโt feel he is fit. He really looked off the pace in the A game last week.
@Collitov: couch coach works as well.
Belham has to start against Australia now. He made an impact last sat and it would be benefical to see him start a test now
@Justin Flynn: same could be said at scrum half, we all know what JGP can do. Would have had 2 fresh lads in as I canโt see too many changes come 6 nations.
@Mark Sheehan: JGP needs game time before Australia
@BMJF: Australia isnโt the be all and end all, would be good to get a result given the limited amount of games between here and next years World Cup. An injury to either JGP or Murray and you could have a third scrum half with little or no international exposure on the bench during the tournament. JGP showed against South Africa that he is well up to speed.
@Justin Flynn: I think Bealham was extremely lucky with the refs reading of the scrum in Saturday.
@Tipper Irie: Iโd actually argue SA weโre foolish for not scrummaging legally they practically went sideways at scrum time driving in. In fairness to bealham the only team that trouble him from an interpro point of view is the Leinster front row. Heโs held his own against all the others quite easily
A very nice balance there. Good for the new faces to get experience with quality players like Park, Henshaw and Doris around them.
Iโm sure they are managing Doris workload but he is a horse of a man when it comes to effort and leaves everything he has on the pitchโฆ.hope we are comfortable enough after 40 mins to rest him. We need all our big guns the following week.
@Michael Murray: yeah starting Doris is a complete head scratcher.
He should be wrapped in cotton wool.
Really happy with that squad. Glad that they didnโt put Sexton on the bench, I feared they might. Also good to see OโBrien play after his performance last week. Delighted that McCloskey is fit, I was sure heโd broken his arm. Henshaw starting is also a big boost ahead of the Australian game. Overall Iโm really happy with that match day squad.
Excellent squad, Farrell & Co. keep surpassing themselves.
@Daithรญ Oโ Donnabhain: delighted for Crowley, whoโs the future along with Frawley.
@Daithรญ Oโ Donnabhain: agreed! I think both of them will move ahead of Carbery in the next season or two. Both very similar players too. In the past when Ireland have had two top out halfโs in their squads theyโve usually been quite different style wise. But Frawley and Crowley are both cut from the same cloth.
I would have preferred to see someone else getting time at scrum half, and perhaps Deegan or Prendergast getting a start, but those are minor quibbles.
Great to see Crowley on the bench โ hopefully Ireland will be far enough ahead with 20 minutes to go that he can come on to close the game out
@Lesidees: I like the 4 half backs. I might have started Casey with Carberry and held JGP to help Crowley when he came on.