LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2022
MUNSTER PROP JEREMY Loughman makes his Test debut as Tadhg Furlong captains Ireland against Fiji on Saturday (KO 1pm, Virgin Media).
Loughman, 27, who first played at Athy RFC and then Blackrock College, has made 76 appearances for Munster since 2017 and has been capped five times at U20 level. He also played against the Maori All Blacks in an uncapped game during Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand.
Furlong is the 109th player to captain Ireland as he makes his 62nd Test appearance. While Furlong is not the first prop to captain his country, the last one to do so was Simon Best against Argentina in 2007.
Johnny Sexton first captained Ireland against Russia at the World Cup in Japan and was then made permanent captain following Andy Farrell‘s appointment as Ireland head coach and Rory Best’s retirement.
Since taking over as head coach, Farrell has given opportunities for the leadership group to wear the armband with James Ryan first captaining the side against England in 2020 and on three other subsequent occasions, while Iain Henderson led the group against France in 2021.
There are five players in the starting side to face Fiji that started games against the Maori All Blacks during the summer tour of New Zealand: Jimmy O’Brien, Stuart McCloskey, Jeremy Loughman, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney.
Tom O’Toole, Cian Prendergast and Craig Casey, who are amongst the replacements for Saturday’s game, also started matches in the Māori Series.
There are three uncapped players in the Match Day Squad – Loughman, who starts at loosehead prop, Prendergast who is covering lock and Jack Crowley, who is cover out-half.
All three featured for Ireland ‘A’ against the All Blacks XV last weekend along with Max Deegan, who is named on the bench and is line for his second cap having made his debut against Wales in February 2020.
Deegan, Prendergast and Crowley were part of the Emerging Ireland tour to Bloemfontein.
Ireland team:
15. Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster) 1 cap
14. Robert Baloucoune (Ulster) 3 caps
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 60 caps
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 7 caps
11. Mack Hansen (Connacht/) 7 caps
10. Joey Carbery (Munster) 36 caps
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 21 caps
1. Jeremy Loughman (Munster) uncapped
2. Rob Herring (Ulster) 29 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 61 caps, captain
4. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) 9 caps
5. Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 34 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster) 21 caps
7. Nick Timoney (Ulster) 2 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster) 31 caps
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 11 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster) 119 caps
18. Tom O’Toole (Ulster) 3 caps
19. Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
20. Max Deegan (Leinster) 1 cap
21. Craig Casey (Munster) 5 caps
22. Jack Crowley (Munster) uncapped
23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
