Ireland boss Farrell hands Prendergast out-half reins for Australia clash, Hansen starts at full-back

Paddy McCarthy is set for his first Test start in green at loosehead prop.

Ireland No.10 Sam Prendergast. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Mack Hansen will wear Ireland’s number 15 jersey for the first time after Andy Farrell named his side for Saturday’s Quilter Nations Series Test with Australia, handing a first start to rookie prop Paddy McCarthy.

There are nine changes and two positional switches in all from the side which started last Saturday’s 41-10 win over Japan, with Sam Prendergast starting at fly-half, Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half, James Lowe in on the left wing and Stuart McCloskey recalled at inside centre as Robbie Henshaw shifts from 12 to number 13.

Dan Sheehan at hooker and tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong return to the Ireland front row to accompany loosehead Paddy McCarthy in his third Test and first start in the number one jersey, while in the back row there is a second start of the month at No.8 for Jack Conan as captain Caelan Doris switches to openside flanker in the continuing absence through injury of Josh van der Flier.

Connacht star Hansen is the latest player to be deployed at full-back, following injuries to previous incumbents Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne. 

It is not an unusual position for the 27-year-old; his last four provincial appearances came in the 15 jersey including his seasonal debut last month against the Bulls. Yet Ireland boss has only deployed Hansen on the wing or off the bench in his previous 28 caps.

That URC appearance on October 17 represents his only appearance of the season so far, the foot injury he aggravated in stoppage time ruling him out of the opening two Tests of this month and Hansen has been selected ahead of alternative options Jacob Stockdale and Jimmy O’Brien, who replaced Osborne in last Saturday’s win over Japan following his second-half shoulder injury.

There is also a recall at inside centre for McCloskey, who impressed against New Zealand on November 1 before succumbing to a groin injury, forcing him out of last week’s 41-10 home win over the Japanese. 

With McCloskey in the number 12 slot, Robbie Henshaw has switched across the midfield to outside centre to replace last Saturday’s debutant Tom Farrell with Garry Ringrose missing out once again due to a hamstring issue.

Mack Hansen during an Ireland Rugby training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Doris’s move to flanker comes after he returned from a long-term shoulder injury against New Zealand and then started at No.8 against Japan, before switching to openside after blindside Ryan Baird moved into the second row for the final 30 minutes as Ireland ran away with victory, thanks to a strong bench showing and resolved lineout issues contributing to three late tries.

Sam Prendergast was part of that effort from the replacements and he replaces number 10 rival Jack Crowley, despite the Munster playmaker’s assured starts in the first two games.

Paddy McCarthy’s promotion following a try from the bench for the 22-year-old against the Brave Blossoms sees first-choice loosehead Andrew Porter move to the bench having started all three Tests for the British & Irish Lions against the Wallabies during the summer. 

Porter joins Ronan Kelleher, who makes way for Sheehan at hooker, and tighthead Thomas Clarkson, a starter last week, on the bench. Nick Timoney’s try-scoring effort as a starting flanker is acknowledged with a place among the replacements while Cian Prendergast retains his spot on the bench after impressing last time out.

Last week’s starting half-backs Crowley and Craig Casey are joined by Bundee Aki as the backline replacements.

IRELAND (v Australia): M Hansen; T O’Brien, R Henshaw, S McCloskey, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; P McCarthy, D Sheehan, T Furlong; J Ryan, T Beirne; R Baird, C Doris, J Conan.

Replacements: R Kelleher, A Porter, T Clarkson, N Timoney, C Prendergast, C Casey, J Crowley, B Aki.