IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has made six personnel changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy in Dublin [KO 2.10pm, Virgin Media One].
Farrell has brought blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, right wing Robert Baloucoune, left wing James Lowe, scrum-half Craig Casey, second row James Ryan, and number eight Jack Conan into his team for the game at the Aviva Stadium.
23-year-old Munster second row Edwin Edogbo is set to make his Ireland debut off the bench against the Italians, who beat Scotland in Rome last weekend, while Tadhg Furlong returns from injury among the replacements.
Josh van der Flier, Cian Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale, and Tommy O’Brien drop out of the matchday 23 as a result of Farrell’s changes, having started in last week’s defeat to France, while Jamison Gibson-Park and Tadhg Beirne move to the bench.
Ulster’s 26-year-old Izuchukwu and 28-year-old Baloucoune will make their Six Nations debuts for Ireland, having won three and four Test caps so far in their careers, respectively.
The introduction of Conan at number eight means Ireland captain Caelan Doris moves to openside flanker, where he has started twice before. 76-times capped flanker van der Flier is a notable casualty of Farrell’s refresh after the disappointing defeat in Paris.
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22-year-old Sam Prendergast continues at out-half and is joined by Munster man Craig Casey in the halfbacks, with Casey getting just his third Six Nations start, while Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose continue as the midfield pairing.
Fullback Jamie Osborne is the one element of continuity in the Irish back three, as the experienced Lowe is reintroduced on the left wing after being omitted against France, and Baloucoune gets a major opportunity upon his full recovery from injury. The Ulster flyer last played for Ireland in a November 2022 Test against Fiji.
Craig Casey starts at scrum-half. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Izuchukwu has similarly recovered full fitness and gets a big chance to impress at blindside in place of Cian Prendergast, who made his own Six Nations debut in Paris. Izuchukwu also missed the November Tests due to injury but Farrell mentioned him several times that month as someone Ireland were excited about.
Izuchukwu teams up with Doris and Conan in a powerful-looking Irish back row, while Ryan is rewarded for his impact off the bench in Paris with a start this time around. Ryan is set to call the Irish lineout, with regular lineout leader Beirne on the bench.
The front row of Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, and Thomas Clarkson is unchanged after they performed well in the set-piece against France, but there are two changes among the replacement front rows.
Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole will cover Loughman at loosehead. O’Toole came off the bench at loosehead against Fiji in November 2024, while he also started Ireland A’s 2025 defeat to England A in the number one shirt. His inclusion means Michael Milne drops out of the squad despite impressing in a try-scoring substitute appearance in Paris.
82-times capped tighthead Furlong returns among the replacements, having recovered from a calf injury, with Finlay Bealham dropping out of the matchday 23.
Edogbo is part of an Irish bench that will hope to have a similar impact to last week’s, while scrum-half Gibson-Park is in the unfamiliar role of offering support as a replacement, having last done so against Italy in the 2024 Six Nations.
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Farrell makes six changes for Ireland's clash with Italy
IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has made six personnel changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy in Dublin [KO 2.10pm, Virgin Media One].
Farrell has brought blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, right wing Robert Baloucoune, left wing James Lowe, scrum-half Craig Casey, second row James Ryan, and number eight Jack Conan into his team for the game at the Aviva Stadium.
23-year-old Munster second row Edwin Edogbo is set to make his Ireland debut off the bench against the Italians, who beat Scotland in Rome last weekend, while Tadhg Furlong returns from injury among the replacements.
Josh van der Flier, Cian Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale, and Tommy O’Brien drop out of the matchday 23 as a result of Farrell’s changes, having started in last week’s defeat to France, while Jamison Gibson-Park and Tadhg Beirne move to the bench.
Ulster’s 26-year-old Izuchukwu and 28-year-old Baloucoune will make their Six Nations debuts for Ireland, having won three and four Test caps so far in their careers, respectively.
The introduction of Conan at number eight means Ireland captain Caelan Doris moves to openside flanker, where he has started twice before. 76-times capped flanker van der Flier is a notable casualty of Farrell’s refresh after the disappointing defeat in Paris.
22-year-old Sam Prendergast continues at out-half and is joined by Munster man Craig Casey in the halfbacks, with Casey getting just his third Six Nations start, while Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose continue as the midfield pairing.
Fullback Jamie Osborne is the one element of continuity in the Irish back three, as the experienced Lowe is reintroduced on the left wing after being omitted against France, and Baloucoune gets a major opportunity upon his full recovery from injury. The Ulster flyer last played for Ireland in a November 2022 Test against Fiji.
Izuchukwu has similarly recovered full fitness and gets a big chance to impress at blindside in place of Cian Prendergast, who made his own Six Nations debut in Paris. Izuchukwu also missed the November Tests due to injury but Farrell mentioned him several times that month as someone Ireland were excited about.
Izuchukwu teams up with Doris and Conan in a powerful-looking Irish back row, while Ryan is rewarded for his impact off the bench in Paris with a start this time around. Ryan is set to call the Irish lineout, with regular lineout leader Beirne on the bench.
The front row of Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, and Thomas Clarkson is unchanged after they performed well in the set-piece against France, but there are two changes among the replacement front rows.
Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole will cover Loughman at loosehead. O’Toole came off the bench at loosehead against Fiji in November 2024, while he also started Ireland A’s 2025 defeat to England A in the number one shirt. His inclusion means Michael Milne drops out of the squad despite impressing in a try-scoring substitute appearance in Paris.
82-times capped tighthead Furlong returns among the replacements, having recovered from a calf injury, with Finlay Bealham dropping out of the matchday 23.
Edogbo is part of an Irish bench that will hope to have a similar impact to last week’s, while scrum-half Gibson-Park is in the unfamiliar role of offering support as a replacement, having last done so against Italy in the 2024 Six Nations.
Ireland (v Italy):
15. Jamie Osborne
14. Robert Baloucoune
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. James Lowe
10. Sam Prendergast
9. Craig Casey
1. Jeremy Loughman
2. Dan Sheehan
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Joe McCarthy
5. James Ryan
6. Cormac Izuchukwu
7. Caelan Doris (captain)
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher
17. Tom O’Toole
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Edwin Edogbo
20. Tadhg Beirne
21. Nick Timoney
22. Jamison Gibson-Park
23. Jack Crowley
Referee: Hollie Davidson [SRU].
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