Four Ulster players included in Ireland squad for Nations Championship clash with Argentina
Ireland fly-half Sam Prendergast has been passed fit to start Friday’s Nations Championship clash with Argentina in Dublin.
The 23-year-old has overcome the wrist issue which forced him to miss Leinster’s United Rugby Championship victory over Munster on October 24.
Prendergast will be partnered by Munster scrum-half Craig Casey against the Pumas at the Aviva Stadium, with the experienced Jamison Gibson-Park named on the bench.
Loosehead prop Andrew Porter, flanker Ryan Baird and wing Mack Hansen will make their first Test appearances in a year after being sidelined for this year’s Guinness Six Nations and Ireland’s three summer Nations Championship fixtures through injury.
In the absence of injured captain Caelan Doris, Connacht’s Sean Jansen starts at number eight, while hooker Dan Sheehan will lead the team.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong joins Sheehan and Porter in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne the preferred lock pairing. Openside flanker Nick Timoney completes the back row alongside Baird and Jansen.
Stuart McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw start in midfield, while Hansen will line up on the left wing, with Robert Baloucoune on the right and Hugo Keenan at full-back.
Head coach Andy Farrell has made seven personnel changes to his starting XV from the 40-21 defeat by New Zealand in July.
Centre Garry Ringrose and back-rower Jack Conan are unavailable for the autumn campaign through injury.
Prop Tom O’Toole, lock James Ryan, Josh Van der Flier and Gibson-Park drop to the bench. Versatile back Jimmy O’Brien misses out on the matchday squad.
Hooker Ronan Kelleher, prop Sam Illo, fly-half Ciaran Frawley and centre Bundee Aki are also among the replacements.
Farrell’s side registered back-to-back wins over Australia and Japan during the summer hemisphere series of the competition before losing to the All Blacks.
After hosting the Pumas at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland take on Fiji on November 14 before facing world champions South Africa a week later.
Ireland team: H Keenan (Leinster); R Baloucoune (Ulster), R Henshaw (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), M Hansen (Connacht); S Prendergast (Leinster), C Casey (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster, capt), T Furlong (Leinster), J McCarthy (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), R Baird (Leinster), N Timoney (Ulster), S Jansen (Connacht).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), T O’Toole (Ulster), S Illo (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), C Frawley (Connacht), B Aki (Connacht).