Ireland look to their future with team to face Italy

Young halfbacks Craig Casey and Jack Crowley are chosen by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell for the Six Nations Grand Slam champions’ first World Cup warm-up game against Italy in Dublin on Saturday.

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Because they play together for the Irish province Munster, fly-half Crowley, 22, and scrum-half Casey, 23, will be quite familiar with one another.

Young halfbacks in for the Irish

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At their province, they have essentially replaced the more seasoned duo of fly-half Joey Carbery and scrum-half Conor Murray due to their outstanding recent performances and role in powering their province to the URC title.

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Experienced Ulster lock Iain Henderson will captain Ireland in this RWC warm-up.

If they come in as substitutes, Ciaran Frawley, Calvin Nash, and Tom Stewart will make their Ireland Test debuts. They are listed on the bench with the props Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, the flanker Cian Prendergast, the lock Tadhg Beirne, and the scrum-half Caolin Blade.

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Ireland Team & Replacements (v Italy, Bank of Ireland Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, July 5, 8pm)

15. Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas)(5)

14. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)(98)

13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)(63)

12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor (12)

11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan)(35)

10. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)(3)

9. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon)(10)

1. David Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemian) (51)

2. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) (34)

3. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) (9)

4: Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)(72)(Captain)

5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)(1)

6. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University)(11)

7. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St. Mary’s College)(28)

8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)(38)

Replacements:

16. Tom Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch)*

17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) (123)

18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) (65)

19. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) (38)

20. Cian Prendergast (Connacht/UCD) (1)

21. Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) (1)

22. Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)*

23. Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)*

*Denotes Uncapped Player

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR), Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR), Luc Ramos (FFR), TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR), TMO Bunker: Stuart Terheege (RFU), 4th Official: Eoghan Cross (IRFU), 5th Official: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)