As noted here on Wednesday, Joe Schmidt is in line to make a host of changes from the Ireland side that toppled the All Blacks.
Canada are in Dublin and eager to prove, on Saturday, that they are a better outfit than the one easily turned over by Ireland at the World Cup.
Mark Anscombe’s side are shorn of a few senior stars – Jamie Cudmore, Jeff Hassler and Tyler Ardron, to name three – but Ireland are set to give several of their go-to men a weekend off.
Schmidt could make as many as 15 changes to his Ireland team. Such wholesale alterations have not been made since we took on Georgia in between November 2014 victories over South Africa and Australia.
The wait for Garry Ringrose is over. The 21-year-old has done more than enough for Leinster to merit a Test call-up and he should make his debut alongside Ulster’s Luke Marshall. Keith Earls and Craig Gilroy should be on the wings while Tiernan O’Halloran is set for his second cap in the fullback role.
While many would have been hoping for the uncapped Luke McGrath to start alongside Joey Carbery in the half back pairing, Schmidt may go for the more experienced duo of Kieran Marmion and Paddy Jackson. Both men are next taxis off the rank, if you will.
Schmidt may be handing out more debuts, to Leinster hooker James Tracy and Munster tight-head John Ryan, but his front row will be the men that started last week’s All Blacks win on the bench – Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Finlay Bealham. Tracy, Ryan and Dave Kilcoyne are set to be in reserve.
The Irish second row is enough to get giddy about. Connacht’s Ultan Dillane and Ulster’s Iain Henderson are set to be paired up in a big, bruising combination.
In the back row, we initially expected for Sean O’Brien to start at openside but Schmidt is teeing up a straight shoot-out for that No.7 jersey ahead of the All Blacks’ return.
Peter O’Mahony will play blindside, and will be asked to captain the side, while it has been reported by The Irish Times that Josh van der Flier will be named openside and O’Brien will be asked to reprise the No.8 role for which he made his name as European Player of the Year, in 2011.
PREDICTED IRELAND XV
15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Keith Earls
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Luke Marshall
11. Craig Gilroy
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Cian Healy
2. Sean Cronin
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Ultan Dillane
5. Iain Henderson
6. Peter O’Mahony (c)
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Sean O’Brien
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