Iain Henderson will replace Paul O’Connell, not Peter O’Mahony in the Irish team.
The Ulster forward has been one of Ireland’s best players in this World Cup and may have expected to start in his favoured position – blindside flanker – once O’Mahony’s tournament ended.
However, Joe Schmidt is set to team him up with Devin Toner in the second row when he names his team on Friday afternoon.
Many Irish supporters, former Irish players, and reporters, had been hoping Henderson would be unleashed at blindside for Sunday’s quarter final with Argentina.
https://twitter.com/johnr0y/status/654030885205970944
How bout the three H's in the back row for #IREvARG – Henderson, Henry and Heaslip?
— Peter O'Reilly (@petersuntimes) October 14, 2015
That means Jordi Murphy will start in at No.6 in an Irish back row that also contains Chris Henry and Jamie Heaslip.
Murphy started two games of Irish successful 2015 Six Nations campaign but a tough outing against Wales, in August’s penultimate warm-up match, saw Henry leapfrog him onto the replacements bench.
Henry is set to come in at openside in place of the suspended Sean O’Brien.
Elsewhere, Schmidt appears to be happy with Cian Healy’s first World Cup start, against France, was enough to keep him the No.1 jersey.
The other big calls should see the backline remain unchanged from the one that started last Sunday’s win over Les Bleus. That means Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls will start if they come through Friday morning’s training session.
That is by no means certain yet.
Rhys Ruddock is expected to come straight onto the bench after his call-up for the injured O’Mahony. Once again Luke Fitzgerald is set to hold off the challenge of Simon Zebo for a place on the bench.
PREDICTED IRELAND XV
R Kearney; T Bowe, K Earls*, R Henshaw, D Kearney; J Sexton*, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, I Henderson; J Murphy, C Henry, J Heaslip (c).
Replacements: R Strauss, J McGrath, N White, D Ryan, R Ruddock, E Reddan, I Madigan, L Fitzgerald.
