Furlong out, Crowley keeps starting spot as Farrell names Ireland side for All Blacks Test

PLAYMAKER: Jack Crowley during an Ireland Rugby squad training session. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named his side to take on the All Blacks in their Autumn Nations Series opener at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night (kick-off, 8.10pm). 

The sides meet for the first time since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final meeting in France, which went the way of the All Blacks.

Munster out-half Jack Crowley is maintained in the No.10 jersey, with Leinster's Ciaran Frawley among the replacements, while Bundee Aki is preferred to Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne at inside centre. 

Crowley is partnered by Jamison Gibson-Park in the half-backs, while Aki forms a midfield partnership with Garry Ringrose. Connacht's Mack Hansen returns to the side in place of Munster winger Calvin Nash, where he joins James Lowe and Hugo Keenan in the back-three. 

In the forwards, an injury to Tadhg Furlong means Finlay Bealham comes in to start alongside Rónan Kelleher and Andrew Porter in the front-row. Munster captain Tadhg Beirne is named at blindside flanker, with Joe McCarthy and James Ryan starting in the engine room. 

BIG LOSS: Tadhg Furlong during an Ireland Rugby squad training session at The Campus in Quinta da Lago. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Beirne partners Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris in the back-row. 

Farrell has experience to call upon from the replacements bench with Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson and Peter O’Mahony providing the forward reinforcements, while Conor Murray, Frawley and Osborne are the backline options.

On the team announcement, Farrell said: “I am really pleased with the effort of the squad across the week’s training camp in Portugal. Since assembling at the IRFU High Performance Centre last week, the players have brought real application to training and it’s great to see a number of players back from injury, which is testament to their diligence and the superb work of the medical team.

“It’s a hugely exciting four weeks ahead in Aviva Stadium and we know we’ll need to perform at a high level to beat a top-class New Zealand side. The challenge doesn’t come much bigger or better than New Zealand at a packed Aviva Stadium on a Friday night, under lights, with a home crowd roaring us on.”

Ireland: H. Keenan; M. Hansen, G. Ringrose, B. Aki, J. Lowe; J. Crowley J. Gibson-Park; A. Porter; R. Kelleher, F. Bealham; J. McCarthy, J. Ryan; T. Beirne, J. van der Flier, C. Doris.

Replacements: R. Herring, C. Healy, T. O’Toole, I. Henderson, P. O’Mahony, C. Murray, C. Frawley, J. Osborne.

All Blacks: W Jordan; M Tele'a, R Ioane, J Barrett, C Clarke; D McKenzie, C Ratima; T Williams, A Aumua, T Lomax; S Barrett, T Vaa'i; W Sititi, S Cane, A Savea.

Replacements: G Bell, O Tu'ungafasi, P Tosi, P Tuipulotu, S Finau, C Roigard, A Lienert-Brown, S Perofeta.