Andy Farrell’s ‘clear’ message to Ireland XV players as ex-England international starts
Dan Kelly and Joshua Kenny both start for Ireland XV.
Ex-England international Dan Kelly will start for Ireland XV when they face England A at Thomond Park on Friday, with Andy Farrell set to be an interested observer.
Munster centre Kelly, who played for an Ireland XV against Spain in November 2025, is retained in the starting line-up and is joined in the midfield by Ulster’s James Hume.
Leinster’s Max Deegan leads a side that includes six senior-capped internationals as head coach Cullie Tucker looks to exact revenge for last year’s loss to England A in Bristol.
Farrell message
Tucker has revealed that Ireland head coach Farrell has highlighted the importance of tonight’s match and this is an opportunity for players to thrust their names forward.
“Andy has been quite clear in saying this is a very, very important game for Irish rugby,” said Tucker. “And he’s right because it challenges the players in different ways. You have such a short period of preparation to play a Test match five days later, so, you don’t have the synergy of your club.
“You have to really break down barriers very early, learn calls, etc. So, they’ll be watching it very keenly on Friday night. If we put in a good, connected performance, you’d hope lads are putting their hands up.”
Deegan, Ciaran Frawley, Gus McCarthy, Scott Wilson, and Jack Aungier were part of the senior group that won in Georgia and Portugal last July, with Frawley, fresh from Ireland’s pre-Six Nations camp, the most experienced member of this matchday 23 with nine caps.
Frawley will lead the backline in Limerick alongside his Leinster team-mate Fintan Gunne.
Shane Daly brings Test experience to a back-three that features Joshua Kenny and Zac Ward out wide. The 22-year-old Kenny is enjoying a breakthrough year with Leinster, scoring eight tries in nine matches, while Ulster winger Ward has touched down five times so far this season.
Ward’s younger brother Bryn is also handed an opportunity to impress the national coaches following his training stint with the senior side in Portugal last week. The 21-year-old – Ulster’s Player of the Match against both Munster and Stade Français – will start at openside flanker.
Deegan and Brian Gleeson complete a dynamic back-row, Ulster development lock Charlie Irvine joins Fineen Wycherley in the engine room, and the front-row has Connacht Academy prop Billy Bohan, who was part of Ireland’s Six Nations preparations, and Wilson either side of McCarthy.
There is a six-two split on the bench as Aungier, Diarmuid Barron, Sam Crean, Harry Sheridan, Paul Boyle, and Sean Jansen provide the forward options, while Cathal Forde and Matthew Devine, who will move from Connacht to Ulster in the summer, are the two reserve backs.
Tucker added: “For us this week is about, you know, the team performing as a team and not as individuals, because that puts them in the best place to catch the eye of the senior coaches.
“So that’s been our focus this week, to really get out there on Friday night and put a performance as a team. It’s a brilliant challenge. You have to walk towards and embrace it in these weeks.
“It’s not far off what a senior team would have as well. You walk through on a Monday and you’re on the pitch, Tuesday, Wednesday, it’s a Friday night game. In these cases, you can look at them as obstacles or barriers. You’ve got to look at them as opportunities.”
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The teams
Ireland XV: 15 Shane Daly, 14 Joshua Kenny, 13 James Hume, 12 Dan Kelly, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Ciarán Frawley, 9 Fintan Gunne, 8 Brian Gleeson, 7 Bryn Ward, 6 Max Deegan (c), 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Charlie Irvine, 3 Scott Wilson, 2 Gus McCarthy, 1 Billy Bohan
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Sam Crean, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Paul Boyle, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 Sean Jansen
England A: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Cadan Murley, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Orlando Bailey, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 Ethan Roots (c), 5 Joe Batley, 4 Ben Bamber, 3 George Kloska, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Tarek Haffar
Replacements: 16 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 17 Archie van der Flier, 18 Afolabi Fasogbon, 19 Hugh Tizard, 20 Fitz Harding, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 George Hendy
Date: Friday, February 6
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off: 19:00 BST
