Potential For Eight New Caps As Andy Farrell Names Team For USA

Thursday, 8 July 2021 14:39

Three Buccaneers RFC players will be involved.

Three former Buccaneers players are part of the Ireland squad to play the USA on Saturday.

Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham and Paul Boyle will all be introduced from the bench by Andy Farrell.

In total there are eight changes to the starting fifteen from last weekend's defeat to Japan.

Four of those are in the back-line with scrum-half Craig Casey partnering Joey Carbery in the half-back line instead of Jamison Gibson-Park.

Debutant Robert Balacoune and Andrew Conway start on the wings instead of Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale while James Hume debuts at centre in place of Chris Farrell.

#TeamOfUs

📋 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🟢

Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday's #VodafoneSummerSeries game against @USARugby at @avivastadium, with eight uncapped players included in the 23 🙌#ShoulderToShoulder #IREvUSA pic.twitter.com/ZLSOh5WZsB
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 8, 2021

Two players will win their first internatioal caps in the pack with Tom O'Toole replacing Finlay Bealham in the front row and Nick Timony in for Josh van der Flier in the back row.

Second row Ultan Dillane makes way for Ryan Baird and with Caelan Doris shifting to blindside instead of Peter O'Mahony, Gavin Coombes gets a start at number eight.

Eight players will win their first cap on Saturday from 7:15pm.

Ireland XV v USA:

15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) 12 caps
14. Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster) uncapped
13. James Hume (Banbridge/Ulster) uncapped
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 5 caps
11. Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 24 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster) 23 caps
9. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) 2 caps
1. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 44 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 12 caps
3. Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster) uncapped
4. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) 4 caps
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 36 caps captain
6. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 8 caps
7. Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster) uncapped
8. Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster) 1 cap

Replacements
16. Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) 5 caps
17. Ed Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 5 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 15 caps
19. Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster) uncapped
20. Paul Boyle (Buccaneers/Connacht) uncapped
21. Caolin Blade (Galwegians/Connacht) uncapped
22. Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster) uncapped
23. Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 4 caps