Ireland team: Andy Farrell makes fly-half call as debutant named for All Blacks showdown
Jack Crowley is at 10 for Ireland against All Blacks.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has announced his team to face New Zealand at Soldier Field on Saturday, with Jack Crowley getting the nod at 10 over Sam Prendergast.
The Irish kick off a busy block of fixtures with a Chicago rematch against the All Blacks, nine years after the famous victory over the same opponents in the US city.
Dan Sheehan is set to captain Ireland for the second time at Soldier Field this weekend, while Leinster prop Paddy McCarthy is in line for a Test debut off the bench.
Stuart McCloskey starts
Head coach Farrell has included Jamie Osborne, Tommy O’Brien and James Lowe in the Ireland back three, with Stuart McCloskey partnering Garry Ringrose in the centres.
Crowley is selected to start at fly-half, partnering Jamison Gibson-Park in the half-backs.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, captain Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are in the front-row, with James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne in the engine room, and a back-row of Ryan Baird at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier at openside and Jack Conan at number eight completing Ireland’s starting XV.
Farrell has strong options on the bench with Ronan Kelleher, the uncapped McCarthy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson and the returning Caelan Doris the forward replacements, while Craig Casey, Prendergast and Bundee Aki provide the backline reinforcements.
Looking ahead to the game, Farrell said: “It is a real privilege to be back here in Chicago ahead of a huge game against New Zealand.
“We’ve been received brilliantly by the local community and there are going to be thousands of Irish supporters cheering us on which is something that will inspire the team.
“The clashes with New Zealand over the years have been fantastic occasions and we’re expecting more of the same on Saturday.
“The historic nature of this game is something we are embracing and there’s great excitement in the squad, not least for Paddy McCarthy who is set to make his international debut this weekend.
“Paddy has made a great start to the season and his selection is testament to his impressive form. We wish him well and will all do our utmost to make it a special weekend for him and his family.”
Team to face All Blacks
Ireland: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 James Ryan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (c), 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Paddy McCarthy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Caelan Doris, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Sam Prendergast, 23 Bundee Aki
Date: Saturday, November 1
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago
Kick-off: 15:10 local (20:10 GMT)
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Luc Ramos (FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
READ MORE: Can you name the Ireland team that defeated the All Blacks for the first time in 2016?
