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The November Internationals conclude for both Ireland and the USA this weekend. Their meeting in Dublin is to be the Eagles’ toughest assignment since RWC 2015. With a challenging pool in RWC 2019 awaiting the USA it is a welcomed fixture.
Ireland go into the match with a new captain. Leading the side will be flanker Rhys Ruddock, taking over from Rory Best. The vastly changed Irish side has been picked with a purpose as Ireland carefully selects which players will play in which matches both in test matches and in the Pro 14.
Ruddock is to be joined by Jordi Murphy and Jack Conan in the team. They mark a total change in the back-row that faced Argentina and New Zealand. All CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, and Peter O’Mahony are being rested.
The front-five forwards mirror this policy as none of James Ryan, Devin Toner, Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best, or Cian Healy will start against the USA. Their respective places in the team have gone to Iain Henderson, Tadhg Beirne, Finlay Balham, Niall Scannell, and David Kilcoyne.
In the backs there are six changes. Only outside center Garry Ringrose retains his spot. He will be joined by Stuart McCloskey rather than Bundee Aki in the midfield. Kieran Marmion and Jonathan Sexton rest with John Cooney and Joey Carbery starting in the halves.
In the back three veterans Rob Kearney, Keith Earls, and star try-scorer Jacob Stockdale will sit out the game with Darren Sweetnam, Andrew Conway, and Will Addison starting the match as the back three.
There is an opportunity for Sam Arnold to debut from the bench. The Englishman qualifies for Ireland though his mother. He is joined by South Africans Rob Herring, and Quinn Roux as nationalized replacements.
USA Head Coach Gary Gold has made three changes from the starting line-up that faced Romania. Hanco Germishuys is back at flanker, Shaun Davies at scrum half, Marcel Brache moves from fullback to wing and Will Hooley starts at the back.
Hooley had been named at fly half against Romania only to be a late withdrawal, replaced by Will Magie. Both players are replacement options to the leading Eagles’ 10, AJ MacGinty. The Irishman turned Eagle is out of the November Internationals though injury.
The USA will still have Irish involvement against Ireland. Starting at prop is Paul Mullen and at flanker is John Quill. The latter joins Germishuys and Cam Dolan in the back-row. Out is Tony Lamborn who suffered a leg injury against Romania.
On the bench there is an opportunity for Samu Manoa to earn his first cap of November. The USA enforcer joins rookie Chance Wenglewski among the replacements. Game time for Wenglewski will see him earning his first cap.
Saturday’s test match is to be the 10th in history between Ireland and the USA. It is to end a long wait with the teams last playing in Dublin in 2004. The most recent match was in New York in 2017. In June 2013 the USA almost pulled-pff an upset in Houston. The same venue would see the Eagles defeating Scotland earlier this year.
Ireland are the world’s no 2. While the side is vastly altered to that which defeated the no 1 New Zealand last weekend the team is still fully professional and made up of players highly likely to go to RWC 2019. Ireland enter as clear favorites with a win by 20 points likely.
IRELAND
1 David Kilcoyne, 2 Niall Scannell, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 Rhys Ruddock (capt.), 7 Jordi Murphy, 8 Jack Conan, 9 John Cooney, 10 Joey Carbery, 11 Darren Sweetnam, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 13 Garry Ringrose, 14 Andrew Conway, 15 Will Addison
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 John Ryan, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Josh van der Flier, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Sam Arnold
USA
1 Titi Lamositele, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Paul Mullen, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 John Quill, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Shaun Davies, 10 Will Magie, 11 Marcel Brache, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Blaine Scully (Capt.), 15 Will Hooley
Replacements: 16 Dylan Fawsitt, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Dino Waldren, 19 Samu Manoa, 20 David Tameilau, 21 Ruben de Haas, 22 Gannon Moore, 23 Ryan Matyas
Date: Saturday, November 24
Kick-off: 18:30 local (10:30 Pacific, 13:30 Eastern)
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZRU)
Assistants: Nic Berry (ARU) & Marius Mitrea (FIR)
TMO: Ian Davies (WRU)
Broadcasts: ESPN+
