Tom Stewart leads Ireland XV side as Munster's Dan Kelly starts

New Munster signing Dan Kelly, a former Ireland U20, starts at inside centre in his first involvement with the national set-up following a summer move from Leicester Tigers.

Dan Kelly of Munster after the United Rugby Championship match between Munster and Connacht. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Hooker Tom Stewart will lead an Ireland XV team featuring 10 Test-capped Irish internationals in the starting line-up for Saturday’s match against Spain in Leganes.

Head coach Cullie Tucker will build on the international experience gained on Ireland’s summer tour matches against Georgia and Portugal as players get the chance to lay down a marker for future Test selection.

New Munster signing Dan Kelly, a former Ireland U20 player, starts at inside centre in his first involvement with the national set-up following a summer move from Leicester Tigers and the former England cap partners Ulster’s Jude Postelthwaite in midfield.

There is a Test-capped back three with Michael Lowry and Ulster team-mate Robert Baloucoune starting at full-back and right wing respectively, with Connacht’s Shayne Bolton on the left wing while at half-back there is a start for Leinster fly-half Harry Byrne and Connacht scrum-half Ben Murphy.

Ulster hooker Stewart skippers a front row also featuring loosehead prop Michael Milne, of Munster, with Ulster tighthead Tom O'Toole the most experienced international in the squad with 17 Ireland caps.

Munster’s Evan O'Connell and Connacht’s Darragh Murray, a summer Test debutant, start in the second row with the Ireland XV back-row comprising flankers Alex Soroka of Leinster and Munster’s Ruadhan Quinn with Connacht’s Paul Boyle at No.8.

Saturday's match at Estadio Municipal de Butarque in the Madrid suburbs kicks off at 4pm Irish time and is being streamed on RugbyPass TV.

IRELAND XV (v Spain): Michael Lowry (Banbridge/Ulster); Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh/Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Shayne Bolton (Connacht); Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht); Michael Milne (UCD/Munster), Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster) – captain, Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Evan O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht); Alex Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster), Ruadhan Quinn (Young Munster/Munster), Paul Boyle (Buccaneers/Connacht).

Replacements: Lee Barron (Dublin University/Munster), Alex Usanov (Clontarf/Leinster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster), David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster), Cathal Forde (Corinthians/Connacht), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster).