Earls and O'Mahony in as Farrell names squad for first All-Black test

Cian Healy makes the bench after leaving the field on a stretcher cart yesterday.

STARTING: Ireland's Peter O'Mahony competes in the air with Jordie Barrett of New Zealand. ©INPHO/Gary Carr

Keith Earls and Peter O’Mahony will start for Ireland against New Zealand in Saturday’s first Test at Eden Park with Andy Farrell also selecting Cian Healy for a bench role less than 12 hours after the prop left the field on a stretcher cart.

Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks on New Zealand soil but will go into this three-test series having landed a 29-20 victory over them in Dublin last November and have since won the Six Nations Triple Crown. There are five changes in the team named in the early hours of Thursday morning Irish time from the line-up beat Scotland last time out in the final round of the championship last March and the same number from the side which started the November win over the All Blacks.