Garry Ringrose
Position: Centre
Age: 29
Height: 1.88m (6ft2in)
Weight: 94kg (14st 9lbs)
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Ireland caps: 60 (77 points, 15 tries, one conversion)
Why he’s so important? He managed just 24 minutes in last season’s Six Nations because of injury, was a replacement in the first Test defeat to South Africa but won back the starting 13 journey for the victory over the Springboks in Durban. He possesses a full toolkit of attacking qualities, footwork, pace, balance and a good spatial awareness, the only small cavil a tendency to step back inside when the pass to the space might be a better option. He is a selfless team player, a leader and someone when at his best whose defensive reads are sharp in shutting down the outside channel irrespective of whether he makes the tackle or forces opponents to turn back inside.
Trivia: There was a moment in Ireland’s World Cup pool match win against Scotland at the Stade de France last year in which he demonstrated his soccer skills in bringing a long punt under control with a flick of his right foot, and in doing so recalling his days with Granada FC, the club based in Holly Park, not Spain. The schoolboy soccer club hailed the moment on social media in acknowledging their former player. He is an ambassador for LauraLynn, the Children’s hospice based in Leopardstown and the National Dairy Council. He drinks milk with his dinner by his own admission.
Rieko Ioane
Position: Centre
Age: 27
Height: 1.88m (6ft2in)
Weight: 103kg (16st 3lbs)
New Zealand caps: 78 (185 points, 37 tries)
Why he’s so important? It’s unlikely that he will be too worried about the heat he’ll get from the stands at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night following his much-publicised barney with Johnny Sexton after the World Cup quarter-final match. Ioane has doubled down since. What shouldn’t be overlooked in all the brouhaha is his talent on a pitch. He became the eighth-youngest All Blacks Test debutant when he came off the bench against Italy in 2016 at the age of 19 years and 239 days and since then gone on to score nearly a try every second game, a phenomenal strike-rate. He has played most of his Test match rugby on the wing. The former New Zealand Schools captain is big, strong and quick.
Trivia: He made his All Blacks Sevens debut as a 17-year-old in 2015 and also represented New Zealand at the Rio Olympics. The Ioanes are a talented rugby family. Like Rieko, older brother Akira has also been an age grade, All Blacks Sevens and Māori All Blacks star, father Eddie played for Samoa at the 1991 World Cup, while mum Sandra lined out at secondrow for the Black Ferns. Drumroll: Ioane has, to date, never scored a try against Ireland.
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