Jack Crowley has been named at fly-half in Ireland’s much-anticipated Chicago rematch against New Zealand, while returning captain Caelan Doris will start on the bench.
With Doris among the replacements, Jack Conan starts at number eight while Dan Sheehan will skipper Ireland for the second time, having taken on the role in the Six Nations win over Wales earlier this year.
Sheehan is joined in the front row by Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong, who also started at tight-head prop in Ireland’s historic win over the All Blacks at Soldier Field in 2016.
All three were part of the British and Irish Lions’ series victory in Australia over the summer, with 11 of Ireland’s starting line-up and 14 of the 23 having been on the tour down under.
Leinster prop Paddy McCarthy is poised to make his Test debut after being named on the bench.
Injuries to Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen have forced head coach Andy Farrell to shake up his back three, with Jamie Osborne and Tommy O’Brien selected at full-back and right wing.
Joe McCarthy’s foot injury means James Ryan starts in the second row alongside Tadhg Beirne, with Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier alongside Conan in the back row.
Stuart McCloskey will start alongside Garry Ringrose in midfield with Bundee Aki, who has been struggling with a hip injury, named on the bench. Ringrose and Van der Flier featured off the bench in Ireland’s historic Chicago win over the All Blacks in 2016.
“There’s always a bit of something really,” Farrell said when asked if he picked his side purely on form.
“You pick a side for the month ahead and it’s certainly a challenging one, it’s certainly an exciting one that we that we’ve got coming up, so you pick a side for that.”
Farrell, who has already been with his squad in Chicago for a week, added: “Then we come over here and we’ve three or four really competitive sessions and you watch and learn and see who’s dealing with that as well.
“Because that’s part of international rugby as well – how you can come together and quickly gel as a team in the short space of time that you’ve got. It’s all part of the process.”
