Ireland given huge front-row fitness boost as team named for All Blacks test

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Front-row forwards Finlay Bealham and Ronan Kelleher will start Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand in Dublin.

Prop Bealham comes into the team for Friday’s match in place of injured tighthead Tadhg Furlong, while hooker Kelleher has been passed fit after suffering an ankle issue only a month ago.

Kelleher, whose availability is a massive boost given the absence of sidelined Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan, is one of 10 players retained from the side which began the series-levelling 25-24 win over world champions South Africa on July 13.

Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park returns after missing that tour with a hamstring problem, while wing Mack Hansen will make his first Test appearance since last year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

Full back Hugo Keenan, who had summer sabbatical with his country’s sevens squad at the Paris Olympics, and inside centre Bundee Aki also return to a starting XV led by skipper Caelan Doris.

Flanker Peter O’Mahony, who captained Ireland to Six Nations glory earlier this year, is included among the replacements after joining up with the squad late following a hamstring issue.

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The All Blacks’ visit to the Aviva Stadium will be the first meeting of the sides since Andy Farrell’s team were defeated 28-24 in the World Cup quarter-finals in Paris just over 12 months ago.

Locks Joe McCarthy and James Ryan will pack down behind the front row of Andrew Porter, Kelleher and Bealham, with flankers Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier joining No 8 Doris in the back row. Fly-half Jack Crowley, outside centre Garry Ringrose and left wing James Lowe complete the line-up.

Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Conor Murray, Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne join O’Mahony on the bench.

Head coach Farrell, whose side also host Argentina, Fiji and Australia this month, said: “Since assembling last week, the players have brought real application to training and it’s great to see a number of players back from injury, which is testament to their diligence and the superb work of the medical team.

“It’s a hugely exciting four weeks ahead in Aviva Stadium and we know we’ll need to perform at a high level to beat a top-class New Zealand side.

“The challenge doesn’t come much bigger or better than New Zealand at a packed Aviva Stadium on a Friday night under lights with a home crowd roaring us on.”

Ireland team: 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster); 14. Mack Hansen (Connacht), 13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster), 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht), 11. James Lowe (Leinster); 10. Jack Crowley (Munster), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster), 2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), 3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht), 4. Joe McCarthy (Leinster), 5. James Ryan (Leinster), 6. Tadhg Beirne (Munster), 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster), 8. Caelan Doris (Leinster, capt.).

Replacements: 16. Rob Herring (Ulster), 17. Cian Healy (Leinster), 18. Tom O’Toole (Ulster), 19. Iain Henderson (Ulster), 20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster), 21. Conor Murray (Munster), 22. Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), 23. Jamie Osborne (Leinster)