Head to head: How the Russians fare up against a much-changed Ireland XV
IRELAND
There are 11 changes to the Ireland side which started the 19-12 Pool A loss to Japan at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa last Saturday, Joe Schmidt retaining only flanker Peter O'Mahony, wing Keith Earls, centre Garry Ringrose and full-back Rob Kearney.
O’Mahony switches from the blindside to openside in the back row as Rhys Ruddock succeeds the Corkman in the number six jersey and Jordi Murphy comes in at No.8, just four days after arriving in Japan as a squad replacement for fractured foot victim Jack Conan.
Earls swaps wings from right to left to accommodate Andrew Conway, who returns to the line-up having scored a try in his World Cup debut against Scotland 11 days ago.
Ringrose and Kearney were the try scorers against Japan at the weekend while the full-back and Earls were both on the scoresheet when Ireland met Russia eight years ago. Earls scored two tries with Kearney adding another in the nine-try, 62-12 rout in Rotorua.
Johnny Sexton captains Ireland for the first time in his 86th Ireland Test having missed the Japan game with a thigh strain, partnering scrum-half Luke McGrath as he returns at fly-half.
With 54 points in nine World Cup appearances, Sexton lies fourth in the Ireland points-scoring table at the tournament behind Ralph Keyes (68), David Humphreys (70) and Ronan O'Gara (93).
The days may be gone when the southern province consistently provided the backbone of the Ireland forward pack but in Kobe today, Joe Schmidt will send out an all-Munster front five with Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and John Ryan forming the front row backed up by locks Tadhg Beirne and Jean Kleyn.
The front row trio have started a Test match once before, in pre-season against Wales in Cardiff when a dominant scrum provided the platform for a 22-17 victory on August 31.
“Having a Munster front five is pretty good now in fairness,” tighthead prop Ryan said. “Delighted to know the fellas to my left and behind me.
Knowing the players alongside you helps everything, knowing each other’s processes so if something’s going wrong, it’s not the end of the world. We know how to adapt. That’s the same for the lineout and around the pitch as well.
RUSSIA
Welshman Lyn Jones has made nine changes to the starting XV beaten by Samoa in Russia’s second Pool A game on September 24 having fielded an unchanged team to the one which opened the tournament against Japan four days earlier.
One of the more surprising moves is to omit fly-half Yury Kushnarev, Russia's record Test caps holder and all-time leading points scorer, from the match-day 23.
Full-back and Russia’s all-time leading try scorer Vasily Artemyev, formerly of Blackrock College and Northampton Saints, will captain his country for a record 33rd time when he leads his team out at Kobe Misaki Stadium.
Artemyev has played in all of Russia’s World Cup fixtures, four pool games in 2011 and today makes a third appearance this time around.
Caged Bear Of the six Russian players that will start their third consecutive Rugby World Cup match today, Tagir Gadzhiev not only poses a significant threat to Ireland, the 25-year-old also has one of the more interesting back stories.
The strong-carrying flanker from war-torn Dagestan has impressed in Russia’s first two games in Japan, yet had not even heard of rugby seven years ago and was an MMA cage fighter before he heard he could earn $20 playing for RC Kuban in the Russian Championship. He was playing for the national team inside three years.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
