The challenge for Joe Schmidt’s three uncapped players - Josh van der Flier and Stuart McCloskey with Ultan Dillane expected off the bench - is to make an impact similar to what we saw at the beginning of the last great era in Irish rugby.
There has not been a similar injection of young talent in the national squad since the record defeat to England (50-18) at Twickenham on February 5th, 2000. For the next match, against Scotland in Dublin, then Irish coach Warren Gatland gave debuts to Simon Easterby, John Hayes, Shane Horgan, Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara. Brian O’Driscoll had been capped a year previously while Denis Hickie and Mick Galway were recalled. Ireland thumped Scotland 44-22 before winning in Paris.
This starting XV is not viewed as a similar gamble with Schmidt also bringing Mike Ross straight into the frontrow as Nathan White pushes 22-year-old tighthead Tadhg Furlong out of the group. Cian Healy is another deemed fit to return, now as Jack McGrath’s understudy, with James Cronin sent back to Munster without much exposure.
Van der Flier’s selection, in place of the injured Sean O’Brien, sees Tommy O’Donnell dropped from the squad, something that also happened to the Munster openside two years ago when Jordi Murphy was promoted from the Leinster ranks to be capped in the 13-10 defeat at Twickenham, a result which ultimately denied Ireland a Grand Slam.
“Josh van der Flier has been a player who has impressed right through the season,” said Schmidt. “He gets an opportunity and a huge responsibility to go out and capture that seven jersey in what will be a really tough test for him.
“Stuart has some impressive elements to his game that we want to get the most from.
“For him, again, we want him to express himself but he has a responsibility to be as watertight as we can be in what will be a tough area to defend in some of the wing plays they play coming through there and with Owen Farrell and Jonathan Joseph testing him.”
Jared Payne’s grade one hamstring tear ruled him out and it’s unclear when the Kiwi will be able to return.
Other changes see Keith Earls return from concussion on the left wing instead of Fergus McFadden, who is also left out of the match day squad as Simon Zebo’s knee injury has cleared up enough for the Cork man to wear number 23.
On England coach Eddie Jones’s comments regarding Johnny Sexton’s “whiplash” injury, Schmidt said: “I think those extraneous things, we are probably less effected than you people are. Because if we are then that’s something we are wasting energy and time on.”
Ireland: Rob Kearney (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Connacht), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Johnny Sexton (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster), Rory Best (Ulster, capt), Mike Ross (Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Devin Toner (Leinster), C J Stander (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: R Strauss (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), N White (Connacht), U Dillane (Connacht), R Ruddock (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), I Madigan (Leinster), S Zebo (Munster).
