LAST UPDATE | 4 Feb 2023
IRELAND HAVE BEEN hit by a late injury blow in Cardiff, with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park ruled out of this afternoon’s Six Nations opener against Wales [KO 2.15pm, Virgin Media] through injury.
The experienced Conor Murray takes Gibson-Park’s place in the starting team, with Craig Casey promoted onto the bench.
There is another change to the Irish bench, with Cian Healy missing out and Dave Kilcoyne coming into the matchday 23 as the back-up loosehead prop.
Leinster man Gibson-Park is understood to have picked up a hamstring injury, possibly during Ireland’s captain’s run at the Principality Stadium yesterday.
It means Murray comes into the Ireland team for his 101st cap.
The 33-year-old has recently lost his starting spot in Munster to Craig Casey and even missed out on the matchday 23 for a Champions Cup game last month, but Ireland boss Andy Farrell had preferred Murray to Casey in his original group for today’s game.
Murray has now been promoted into the starting team, with Casey set for his eighth cap off the bench.
Meanwhile, Kilcoyne gets a chance to show that his good form for Munster can translate onto the Test scene, with the loosehead prop in line for his first Ireland appearance since last year’s Six Nations.
Ireland had already seen first-choice tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong ruled out of this game due to injury, with Finlay Bealham coming into the starting XV in his place for what will be his first Six Nations start.
Ireland:
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Mack Hansen
- 13. Garry Ringrose
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 11. James Lowe
- 10. Johnny Sexton (captain)
- 9. Conor Murray
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Dan Sheehan
- 3. Finlay Bealham
- 4. Tadhg Beirne
- 5. James Ryan
- 6. Peter O’Mahony
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
- 16. Rob Herring
- 17. Dave Kilcoyne
- 18. Tom O’Toole
- 19. Iain Henderson
- 20. Jack Conan
- 21. Craig Casey
- 22. Ross Byrne
- 23. Bundee Aki
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