The Ireland head coach will confirm his team on Wednesday.
Maybe not for the players and coaches, for whom it causes great stress, but supporters and media love discussing, predicting, and analysing matchday 23 s when the big Tests roll around. Ireland start their autumn campaign with the big one, the visit of New Zealand to Dublin next Friday night.
Missing through injury that day in Durban were Jamison Gibson-Park, Craig Casey, Mack Hansen, Iain Henderson, and Dan Sheehan. Hugo Keenan was on Ireland 7s duty and Jack Conan was absent for personal reasons. Ireland had said Bundee Aki was carrying an injury but he was fit enough to do the warm-up before the second Boks Test.That means Farrell has had great options to consider in his selection, which is due to be officially announced at 2pm on Wednesday.
But Keenan has been a superb performer for Farrell for a long time and has also started this campaign in strong form for Leinster, clearly determined to re-establish his position at the top of the pecking order. Inside centre Aki has been brilliant for Connacht early this season and will be determined to break back into the starting XV ahead of Henshaw, who has only played once for Leinster due to injury. Ringrose is the incumbent at number 13.
Casey had an excellent first Test in Pretoria before injury so he’ll hope to provide scrum-half impact off the bench, although 35-year-old Murray has lots of credit in the bank in that role under Farrell.
Ireland Matchday 23 Pick Your 23
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ciarán Frawley update from Leinster as Andy Farrell to finalise Ireland squadCiarán Frawley limped out of Leinster's win at Connacht while there is news from the province on Robbie Henshaw, Joe McCarthy and Ryan Baird
Read more »
Ireland team news LIVE updates as Andy Farrell selects squad for November InternationalsIreland will take on New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia at the Aviva Stadium in November.
Read more »
Ireland squad selection recap as Andy Farrell makes picks for November internationalsAndy Farrell has named a 35-man squad for November's Autumn International series.
Read more »
The winners from Andy Farrell's Ireland squad selection for the Autumn SeriesCaelan Doris picks up the captaincy as Peter O'Mahony must wait until later in the series to see action, while Andy Farrell, who names two uncapped players in his squad, clearly feels the hooker casualty crisis has abated
Read more »
Farrell welcomes big guns back in an Ireland squad with lots of storylinesAndy Farrell is aiming for a clean sweep before he hands over the reins to Simon Easterby.
Read more »
The stage is set for epic League of Ireland finaleLooking back at Duff’s career; Ireland’s fear of All Blacks is gone; Sexton returns
Read more »