Joey’s Munster move already paying dividends?
Ireland take on Australia in the first of a three-test summer series Down Under on Saturday and Irish coach Joe Schmidt has named his starting side for the opening showdown.
Joey Carbery starts at 10 with Jonathan Sexton on the bench. It’s one of a number of changes from Ireland’s clash with England in Twickenham on the final day of the Six Nations.
It’s an all new front-row with Jack McGrath and John Ryan earning the nods at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively while the injured Rory Best is replaced at hooker by his Ulster compatriot Rob Herring.
In the back-row, the Ulster bound Jordi Murphy comes in at openside flanker following some impressive end-of-season displays with Leinster, while Peter O’Mahony captains the side from number six.
On the bench, Quinn Roux is preferred over Tadhg Beirne while there’s Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong covering the front-row and young starlet Jordan Larmour covering the back field.
Here's your Ireland team to play @qantaswallabies in Brisbane on Saturday. #AUSvIRL #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/jQ8txA6dab
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 7, 2018
In case you’re wondering, Michael Chieka also named his Wallabies side overnight.
#BREAKING l #Wallabies team to face @IrishRugby in the Mitsubishi Estate Ireland Series at @suncorpstadium. #AUSvIRL #GoldBlooded
TICKETS: https://t.co/Mvz4PozWYp
READ: https://t.co/1oqVRjhjqf pic.twitter.com/b528KkmMNe
— Wallabies (@wallabies) June 7, 2018