Andy Farrell: 'The performance comes from the experienced lads, the lads we expect to perform'

“I’ve no doubt the young lads are the lads that they they’re getting the first or second or an important opportunity. They’ll be carried along through the fight and the grit of the others being the best version of themselves."

TIME TO SHINE: Andy Farrell urged his senior players to give his new recruits the freedom to perform after handing Ireland debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series showdown with Fiji. 

Andy Farrell urged his senior players to give his new recruits the freedom to perform after handing Ireland debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series showdown with Fiji.

The Ireland head coach has also handed Sam Prendergast a first start at number 10 a week on from his debut off the bench against Argentina while there is a first home start for full-back Jamie Osborne after an impressive summer tour to South Africa as Hugo Keenan’s stand-in.