Sam Prendergast and Craig Casey start as Andy Farrell names Ireland side for Pumas clash 

Flanker Ryan Baird, wing Mack Hansen and loosehead prop Andrew Porter - who each made their most recent appearances last November - are all named to start.

FITNESS PROVEN: Sam Prendergast during an Ireland training session. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Ryan Baird, Mack Hansen and Andrew Porter all return to the Ireland line-up for the first time in a year after being named in Andy Farrell’s team to face Argentina in their opening autumn Nations Championship clash at Aviva Stadium on Friday night.

Flanker Baird, wing Hansen and loosehead prop Porter each made their most recent appearances last November in the 24-13 home defeat to world champions South Africa before injuries sidelined them for the 2025 Six Nations and summer Nations Championship tour.

Their inclusions are three of seven changes and one positional switch made by head coach Farrell from Ireland’s last outing, a 40-21 defeat to New Zealand at Eden Park last July 18. 

Robbie Henshaw replaces the injured Garry Ringrose at outside centre while Sean Jansen earns his third Test appearance following a summer debut against Japan and an appearance off the bench versus the All Blacks as he replaces the absent Jack Conan at No. 8, with captain Caelan Doris still missing due to foot and knee issues.

Craig Casey is handed a start ahead of Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half alongside Sam Prendergast, who retains his fly-half berth after overcoming a wrist injury.

Gibson-Park moves to the replacements, as does Josh van der Flier, whose openside flanker berth is handed to Nick Timoney.

Hansen regains his familiar left-wing berth from Jimmy O’Brien after last season was disrupted by recurrences of a foot injury he initially sustained on the 2025 Lions tour. 

Porter comes in for Tom O’Toole, who drops to the bench, to form a front row with captain and hooker Dan Sheehan and tighthead Tadhg Furlong, while Baird’s back-row selection at blindside flanker alongside Jansen and openside flanker Josh van der Flier sees Tadhg Beirne switch from number six to the second row in a partnership with Joe McCarthy as James Ryan moves to the replacements.

Sam Prendergast has shaken off a wrist injury to retain the number 10 jersey ahead of fly-half rival Ciaran Frawley and in the absence of Jack Crowley and will partner scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park in the half-backs with Henshaw set to combine with inside centre Stuart McCloskey in midfield.

Hugo Keenan is set for his first Aviva Stadium Test since the 2025 Six Nations and starts at full-back after returning from hip and thumb injuries during the summer Nations Championship. Keenan and Hansen are joined in the back three by right wing Robert Baloucoune.

The bench sees opportunities for Connacht tighthead Sam Illo while new provincial team-mate Ciaran Frawley retains the number 22 jersey as potential cover at fly-half and full-back with Bundee Aki covering midfield and Gibson-Park covering scrum-half and wing.

Earlier on Wednesday, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi named a strong side as Los Pumas target a first ever win over Ireland on Irish soil and ending a four-match, 11-year losing run to the men in green having not won since the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.

Contepomi has been able to restore key players including Toulouse full-back Juan Cruz Mallía and Saracens flanker Juan Martín González for the first time since the 2025 November Tests to a side captained by hooker Julián Montoya. 

Argentina’s last outing was a 28-28 Rugby Championship draw with Australia and González packs down at blindside flanker in a powerhouse back row also featuring openside Marco Kremer and No.8 Pablo Matera.

IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Robert Baloucoune, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Mack Hansen; Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan - captain, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole, Sam Illo, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ciaran Frawley, Bundee Aki.

ARGENTINA: Juan Cruz Mallía; Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomás Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Boris Wenger, Julián Montoya - captain, Francisco Moreno; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Juan Martín González, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera.

Replacements: Leonel Oviedo, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Efrain Elias, Juan Martin Scelzo, Simón Benítez Cruz, Gerónimo Prisciantelli, Lucio Cinti.