Farrell confident Conan, Kilcoyne, and Kelleher will be fit for World Cup opener

INJURY UPDATE: Ireland boss Andy Farrell issued a positive update on injured forwards Jack Conan, Dave Kilcoyne, and Ronan Kelleher but the trio will miss Saturday's clash with England at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: Adam Peck

Ireland boss Andy Farrell issued a positive update on injured forwards Jack Conan, Dave Kilcoyne, and Ronan Kelleher but the trio will miss Saturday's clash with England at the Aviva Stadium.

A day after the head coach axed five players to narrow his training squad to 38 players who will vie for a place in the 33-man Ireland World Cup squad to be named on August 28, Farrell named close to his strongest possible team available to face the English in the Grand Slam winners’ final home game before heading to France.

Yet it was the outside-back replacement he selected and the injured players who attracted most interest on Thursday as Farrell sat down to talk through a matchday squad that will be led by James Ryan in the absence of the suspended Johnny Sexton and will feature Cian Prendergast at No. 8 in his first start for Ireland.

Ireland’s No. 23 Keith Earls will get the biggest cheer of the day from a near sell-out Aviva crowd when he is sent on for his 100th Test appearance while the pronouncements on No. 8 Conan (foot), loosehead prop Kilcoyne, and hooker Kelleher (both slight hamstring injuries) were encouraging as the opening pool game against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9 looms.

"Jack is still ongoing,” Farrell said. “Him, David Kilcoyne, and Ronan Kelleher, they're not long-term. Whether they're going to be fit for next week (against Samoa in Bayonne) or not, we don't quite know. Probably not. Will they be fit for the start of the World Cup and available for selection? Definitely, yes."

Earls, 35, is set to become his country’s ninth centurion should he feature off the bench, almost 15 years on from a try-scoring debut against Canada in November 2008. He is part of a strong replacement contingent also featuring fellow Munster backs Conor Murray and Jack Crowley as well as experienced forwards such as Caelan Doris, Finlay Bealham, and Rob Herring and World Cup hopefuls Jeremy Loughman and Joe McCarthy.

It is a near full-strength side for the world number one-ranked team with full-back Hugo Keenan, and wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe making the starting back three, while Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose are the starting centres. Leinster pair Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park start in the half-backs.

In the forward pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, and Tadhg Furlong start in the front row, with Tadhg Beirne partnering Ryan in the second row. Peter O’Mahony starts at blindside flanker, with Josh van der Flier at openside and Cian Prendergast set for his first Ireland start at number eight with Doris rested and Conan injured.

Farrell addressed the decision to send five players — Munster’s Calvin Nash and Gavin Coombes, Connacht’s Caolin Blade, Leinster’s Jamie Osborne, and Ulster’s Kieran Treadwell — back to their provinces and said he was close to deciding on his final 33-man panel.

“Yeah, we obviously are close. We’ve been juggling with it all the way through obviously and we’ve known in the background what that should or could look like but at the same time, have a look at what’s been happening week in, week out, and different permutations on who’s fit and who doesn’t perform etc.

“It changes your mind all the time because that guy could be a utility player for example and he covers three, or four, or five positions, etc. So, we’ll see how we go again after this weekend again and next… Hopefully we’ll keep on improving within that time, and use that time wisely."

Courtney Lawes captains an England side showing six changes to the XV that started the 19-17 Twickenham defeat of Wales last Saturday. George Ford replaces Owen Farrell at fly-half, while his country’s most-capped player Ben Youngs starts at scrum-half with Jack van Poortvliet sustaining a injury last weekend that has ended his chances of a World Cup debut.

Manu Tuilagi starts at inside centre, alongside Joe Marchant. Loosehead prop Ellis Genge starts having won his 50th cap from the bench last Saturday while lock David Ribbans is back in the side having successfully completed his return to play protocols to partner Maro Itoje in the second row.

IRELAND: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); R Byrne (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster); T Beirne (Munster), J Ryan (Leinster) – captain; P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht).

Replacements: R Herring (Ulster), J Loughman (Munster), F Bealham (Connacht), J McCarthy (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), K Earls (Munster).

ENGLAND: F Steward (Leicester Tigers); A Watson (unattached), J Marchant (Stade Francais), M Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), E Daly (Saracens); G Ford (Sale Sharks), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers); E Genge (Bristol Bears), J George (Saracens), W Stuart (Bath) M Itoje (Saracens), D Ribbans (Toulon); C Lawes (Northampton Saints) - captain, B Earl (Saracens), B Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: T Dan (Saracens), J Marler (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Bristol Bears), O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), J Willis (Toulouse), D Care (Harlequins), M Smith (Harlequins), O Lawrence (Bath).