NEW-LOOK IRELAND TEAM LOOK TO SEIZE THEIR CHANCE IN GEORGIA

IRELAND’S MEETING WITH Georgia today [KO 6pm, Virgin Media] is unlikely to make or break any international careers, but it’s a valuable opportunity for those on the fringes of the regular squad to push their way up the queue, or at the very least ensure they remain part of the conversation.

Summer ‘development’ Tests tend to balance youth with experience, with the scales tipping more toward the latter in a Lions year. Yet never has an Ireland squad been so heavily impacted by a Lions tour, with Andy Farrell bringing 16 Irish tourists to Australia, along with a handful of his coaching staff. 

As a result, interim head coach Paul O’Connell has been left with a very different group to work with. Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale, capped three times in the last two years, is by a distance the most experienced Test player in the squad. The 29-year-old wins his 39th cap this evening. Next best is Ryan Baird on 27 caps, with Jack Crowley (24 caps) the only other player in the 33-man squad with 20-plus caps to his name.

Even as the more experienced members of the group, those players will hope to make a statement across this game and next Saturday’s clash with Portugal in Lisbon. With Peter O’Mahony now retired, Baird, 25, must be looking to make himself a mainstay in the starting team. Three of his four Six Nations appearances this season came off the bench, but on his best days he’s suggested he can hold a more central role.

Crowley has seen the 10 shirt whipped from his hands by Sam Prendergast, and while the Leinster player starts here, the Munster out-half ended the season in stronger form. Prendergast has been Farrell’s preferred option but Crowley needs to keep the heat on in that battle.

Looking at the fresher faces, there are points of interest right across the team. Tommy O’Brien and Darragh Murray are the two starting debutants in a matchday 23 which contains six uncapped players – Munster pair Michael Milne and Tom Ahern and Connacht duo Jack Aungier and Ben Murphy are set to debut off the bench.

Leinster winger O’Brien was outstanding across the province’s run to URC success, while 24-year-old Murray is an athletic presence at lock. The Connacht player will be just the second Roscommon man to represent Ireland at Test level, joining his provincial teammate Jack Carty.

Jamie Osborne wins his eighth cap and his first start at centre, the position which may well prove to be his long-term home. Munster’s Craig Casey held Lions ambitions but will recognise the opportunity to captain his country as a real show of faith from the Ireland coaches.

An all-Leinster front row of Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson will be tested against a powerful Georgian pack, but all three will take confidence from the significant steps they have taken over the past 12 months.

In the second row Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu will look to showcase his rich athletic talents by getting his hands on the ball, but prioritising the dirty work needs to be first and foremost on his mind. 

Back-rowers Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes have both been frustrated with selections over the years so need to use this tour to show what they can offer the squad. Timoney is a powerful ball-carrier while Coombes has grown into an increasingly important player for Munster, and his ability to power through and score tries from close range might be just what Ireland need at the 27,000-capacity Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.

With heavy rain battering Tbilisi this week and more showers anticipated today, this has the potential to be a scrappy encounter where the much-anticipated battle up front proves decisive.

Paul O’Connell has highlighted the quality of forwards like Mikheil Babunashvili and Luka Ivanishvili, two of seven Black Lion players in the Georgia 23. The Tbilisi-based club are in the same Challenge Cup pool as Connacht next season.

Fullback Davit Niniashvili, a Challenge Cup winner with Lyon in 2022, is a standout talent who will join Ronan O’Gara at La Rochelle next season. Former Connacht scrum-half Conor McPhillips is part of Richard Cockerill’s backroom team.

Georgia see this game as a chance to show what they can offer on the Test stage. The hosts are currently ranked 11th in the world, one place ahead of Wales and one short of Italy. Georgia believe they are now at the stage where they should be getting the same opportunities as their rankings neighbours.

Even with so many changes, Ireland’s job today is to avoid giving the hosts a scalp to celebrate. That said, a win alone won’t be enough to satisfy Farrell, who has had a say in selection and will be keeping a close eye from Australia. He wants to see a win, but he’ll be just as keen to see a performance. It’s a tough ask for a new-look group who have only been together for two weeks, but such are the demands of Test rugby. The challenge for this new-look group is to show they belong here. 

GEORGIA: Davit Niniashvili; Aka Tabutsadze, Demur Tapladze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Sandro Todua; Luka Matkava, Vasil Lobzhanidze; Giorgi Akhaladze, Vano Karkadze, Irakli Aptsiauri; Mikheil Babunashvili, Lado Chachanidze; Luka Ivanishvili, Beka Saginadze, Tornike Jalagonia. 

Replacements: Irakli Kvatadze, Giorgi Tetrashvili, Beka Gigashvili, Giorgi Javakhia, Ilia Spanderashvili, Mikheil Alania, Tedo Abzhandadze, Tornike Kakhoidze. 

IRELAND: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey; Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Cormac Izuchukwu, Darragh Murray; Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Michael Milne, Jack Aungier, Tom Ahern, Cian Prendergast, Ben Murphy, Jack Crowley, Calvin Nash.

2025-07-05T05:35:21Z