Ireland make five changes for Third Test but there is one shock omission

Patrick McCarry

Great to see Ross Byrne named to the bench, but that means Joey Carbery’s tour is over.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has made five changes to his starting XV for the Test Series decider against Australia on Saturday.

Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale, Jack Conan, Jack McGrath and Sean Cronin all get starts in a team that will be captained by Peter O’Mahony. The Munster back-row has been switched to openside in a shuffle that sees CJ Stander starting at blindside and Conan handed the No.8 jersey.

Cronin gets a start at hooker, alongside McGrath and Tadh Furlong, but the biggest surprise call is in the Irish backline.

Having played so superbly in the Second Test victory in Melbourne, Garry Ringrose drops out of the team, and squad. Schnidt has reverted back to the midfield that begun the series in Melbourne – Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw in the 13 jersey.

The Ringrose omission is one no-one saw coming but Ali and Henshaw do have a good working relationship in the centre.

Stockdale resumes his position on the left wing while Keith Earls switches back to the right. Andrew Conway, who scored the opening try last weekend before coming off injured, misses out entirely. Both he and Dan Leavy’s absence could well be fitness related.

Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton will start in the 9/10 axis and they are deputised by Kieran Marmion and the uncapped Leinster outhalf Ross Byrne.

IRELAND

Rob Kearney

Keith Earls
Robbie Henshaw
Bundee Aki
Jacob Stockdale

Johnny Sexton
Conor Murray

Jack McGrath
Sean Cronin
Tadhg Furlong

Devin Toner
James Ryan

CJ Stander
Peter O’Mahony (captain)
Jack Conan

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Cian Healy, John Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Jordi Murphy, Kieran Marmion, Ross Byrne, Jordan Larmour.

The Wallabies named their match-day squad around the same time and there are two changes to the starting XVs from Sydney and Melbourne. Lukhan Tui comes in at blindside, with David Pocock shifting to No.8, and Nick Phipps replaces the injured Will Genia at scrum-half.

#BREAKING l #Wallabies team to face @IrishRugby in the decider of the Mitsubishi Estate Ireland Series at @AllianzStadium.

TEAM: https://t.co/vfYr5oUlD1 #AUSvIRL #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/wv5e9RO3Nf

— Wallabies (@wallabies) June 21, 2018