Connacht duo named on the bench for New Zealand clash
Bundee Aki and Sean Jansen named in Andy Farrell’s 23-man match-day squad for Nations Championship clash
Sean Jansen's display on his senior Irish debut last week has been enough to see the Connacht flanker named in Ireland's match-day squad for Saturday's Nations Championship clash with New Zealand in Auckland.
Last weekend's game against Japan was seen as an opportunity for players to force their way into Andy Farrell's think for the third and final game of Phase 1 of the new international tournament, and Jansen took that chance with both hands with a display that earned him the man-of-the-match display against the Brave Blossoms on what was his first appearance for the Ireland - he is Irish qualified through his maternal grandparents, James Brown and Maura Foster, who were from Belfast and Monasterevin.
Jansen has been named on the bench for Saturday's clash, and he is joined in the replacements by current Connacht team-mate, Bundee Aki; and soon-to-be provincial team-mate, Ciaran Frawley. Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, and Cian Prendergast all miss out.
Ireland team to play New Zealand (Saturday 8.10am Irish time, live on Virgin Media One): H Keenan (Leinster); R Baloucoune (Ulster), G Ringrose (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), J O'Brien (Leinster); S Prendergast (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); T O'Toole (Ulster), D Sheehan (Leinster)(40), T Furlong (Leinster), J McCarthy (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), J Loughman (Munster), T Clarkson (Leinster), N Timoney (Ulster), S Jansen (Connacht), C Casey (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht).