ANDY FARRELL HAS made five personnel changes to his Ireland team for Friday night’s Six Nations clash with Wales at the Aviva Stadium [KO 8.10pm, RTÉ 2].

Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney, Jacob Stockdale, Jack Conan, and Rónan Kelleher all come into the starting XV for Ireland, while Ulster’s 24-year-old scrum-half Nathan Doak is set for his Test debut off the Irish bench.

30-year-old Ulster back row Timoney will make his first Six Nations start for Ireland, having impressed off the bench in the last three games. He joins captain Caelan Doris and the returning Conan, who missed the big win over England two weekends ago due to illness, in the Irish back row.

With Conan named at blindside flanker, Tadhg Beirne shifts into the second row alongside James Ryan. Those changes to the back five of the Irish scrum mean Josh van der Flier and Joe McCarthy move to the bench.

27-year-old Ulster man O’Toole will also make his first Six Nations start for Ireland at loosehead prop, where he replaces the injured Jeremy Loughman, who suffered a calf injury in training.

O’Toole is a tighthead prop for Ulster but Ireland have asked him to cover the loosehead side in recent seasons. He has done well off the bench at loosehead against Italy and England in this Six Nations and now gets his first Test start there.

With Loughman ruled out, Ireland have named Michael Milne as their back-up loosehead.

Milne came off the bench in Ireland’s defeat to France in the opening round of this Six Nations, impressing as he scored a try, but didn’t feature against Italy or England.

Leinster man Kelleher comes into the starting XV at hooker, having impressed as the bench option behind starter Dan Sheehan up until this point. Kelleher joins O’Toole and the retained tighthead Tadhg Furlong in the front row.

Sheehan has been rested for this game against Wales, meaning that Ulster’s in-form Tom Stewart is named on the bench for what will be his Six Nations debut.

Nathan Doak is set for his debut off the bench. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

The final change to Ireland’s starting side sees Jacob Stockdale come in on the left wing in place of James Lowe, whose championship was ended by the groin injury he suffered against England two weekends ago.

Tommy O’Brien came off the bench for Lowe in that game and shone in a try-scoring performance, but he has missed out on selection altogether for the Wales clash. 

Stockdale started the Six Nations opener against France but was then left out of the Italy and England wins, so Farrell is giving the experienced Ulster man another chance to impress on Friday night.

Stockdale joins Robert Baloucoune and fullback Jamie Osborne in the Irish back three, while the halfback pairing of Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Crowley continues for this game, as does the midfield combination of Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose.

There is further change on the Irish bench, with Thomas Clarkson returning to the matchday 23 as tighthead cover, while Ulster man Doak is set to win his first cap as a replacement.

Ireland boss Farrell has also opted to bring 32-year-old Munster centre Tom Farrell into the matchday squad for what will be another Six Nations debut. Farrell won his first two Ireland caps last November but hadn’t yet featured in this championship.

With Ciarán Frawley again covering out-half and fullback from the bench, Farrell beats off competition from the likes of O’Brien and Bundee Aki for the number 23 shirt.

Ireland (v Wales):

15. Jamie Osborne
14. Robert Baloucoune
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Jack Crowley
9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Tom O’Toole
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. James Ryan
5. Tadhg Beirne
6. Jack Conan
7. Nick Timoney
8. Caelan Doris (captain)

Replacements:

16. Tom Stewart
17. Michael Milne
18. Thomas Clarkson
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Josh van der Flier
21. Nathan Doak
22. Tom Farrell
23. Ciarán Frawley

Referee: Karl Dickson [RFU].