Breaking: Andy Farrell names Ireland team for South Africa showdown

Breaking: Andy Farrell names Ireland team for South Africa showdown

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named his side to take on South Africa.

Andy Farrell has selected a formidable Ireland team to take on South Africa this Saturday in their World Cup Pool B clash.

The pack is unchanged from last weekend’s trouncing of Tonga but Jamison Gibson-Park comes in at scrumhalf in place of Conor Murray.

Ireland team to play South Africa.

In other team news, hooker Dan Sheehan has proven his fitness to take his place among the substitutes.

While David Kilcoyne and Finlay Bealham might not weigh up to South Africa’s “bomb squad” substitute props, there is still plenty of beef to come off the Irish bench with the versatile Iain Henderson and Ryan Baird both included to counteract the Boks’ 7:1 bench split.

The sizable duo of Henderson and Baird specialise as second rows, but have both appeared as blindside flankers in the past.

Their imposing physiques could be especially important given the fact that the opposition have included giant Munster locks RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn on their bench, as well as flankers Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith.

The teams.

Ireland: Porter, Kelleher, Furlong; Beirne, Ryan; O’Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris; Gibson-Park, Sexton; Lowe, Aki, Ringrose, Hansen, Keenan

Replacements: Sheehan, Kilcoyne, Bealham, Henderson, Baird; Murray, Crowley, Henshaw

South Africa: Kitschoff, Mbonambi, Maleherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi, Du Toit, Wiese; de Klerk, Libbok; Kolbe, de Allende, Kriel, Arendse, Williemse

Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Nyakane, Kleyn, Snyman, van Staden, Smith; Reinach.