Prendergast given Ireland 10 shirt as Lion returns in unfamiliar role

Sam Prendergast will start at fly-half for Ireland on Saturday when they welcome Australia to the Aviva Stadium.

The Leinster playmaker has been preferred to Jack Crowley on this occasion by Andy Farrell, with the Munster star starting on the bench.

Farrell has made plenty of changes from the team that triumphed over Japan last week 41-10.

The British & Irish Lions boss has welcomed back one of his tourists from the summer, Mack Hansen, who missed the opening two matches of the Quilter Nations Series through injury.

With Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne out, Hansen will start in his more unfamiliar role of full-back – his first Test start there.

Fixture

Internationals

Ireland

46 - 19

Full-time

Australia

All Stats and Data

There have been a total of nine changes from the side that triumphed over Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms last week. The six players who will start again are the second-row pairing of James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne, flanker Ryan Baird, captain Caelan Doris, centre Robbie Henshaw and wing Tommy O’Brien.

Of those six, Henshaw will shift to outside centre this week, while Doris will move to the flank to accommodate Jack Conan at No.8.

Speaking ahead of the match, Farrell said: “There’s great respect and familiarity between Ireland and Australia and Saturday is the latest renewal in a series of matches which have been pretty evenly balanced over the last number of years.

“There has been a good buzz around training this week and the players are excited about the challenge that awaits. For us it’s about putting in an 80-plus minute performance and to try and implement our gameplan in front of what we know will be a vocal home support.”

Ireland XV
15. Mack Hansen (Corinthians/Connacht)(28)
14. Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster)(4)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(83)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(23)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(41)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(11)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(44)
1. Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(2)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(33)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(80)
4. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(74)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(63)
6. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(31)
7. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(53)(captain)
8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(53)

Replacements
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(41)
17. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(77)
18. Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(9)
19. Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(5)
20. Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(6)
21. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(22)
22. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(28)
23. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(66)