Ireland will want a winning send-off at a ground that has become a fortress.
Andy Farrell will name his Ireland team to face England, on Thursday, and look to continue his side’s winning run at Aviva Stadium. Before that, though, Farrell cut FIVE players from his World Cup training squad (more on that below).
Ireland have won 15 straight Test matches in Dublin, since losing to France in the 2021 Six Nations. With England, his old side, coming to town, he’ll be hoping to make it sweet 16, and for no injury issues.
That Ireland team will be named on Thursday afternoon but we expect Andy Farrell to bring back several of his big guns. Finlay Bealham, Josh van der Flier and Keith Earls all did media, on Tuesday, so that’s a good sign they will be involved.
IRELAND TEAM
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Mack Hansen
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Bundee Aki
11. James Lowe
10. Ross Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park1. Andrew Porter
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Tadhg Beirne
5. James Ryan (captain)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Cian PrendergastReplacements: Rob Herring, Jeremy Loughman, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Caelan Doris, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls
We will have all that Ireland team news, and reaction to it, as well as the England match-day 23 announcement and other World Cup warm-up news in our live feed and click on the key points if they catch your eye.
Keith Earls of Ireland in action against New Zealand, in 2022. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)Keith Earls set to feature in Ireland team
While it would be hard to confidently predict Keith Earls as a lock for Ireland’s World Cup squad, the fact that he is due to feature in both of the first two warm-up games bodes well for him.
The Munster winger was up for media duties on Tuesday, tipping the cap that he may feature against England. Reflecting on what would be his 100th Test outing, Earls told reporters, “It would be a massive honour but also just a bit of relief because I was stuck on 98,” said the 35-year-old.
“I suppose in the last couple of years I was genuinely thinking every time I stepped on to the field it could be the last time.”
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- 31 players are already locked in for Ireland’s World Cup squad
- Behind-the-scenes footage of Ronan O’Gara team talk shows why his players have fully bought in
