Ireland pits its three players of New Zealand descent against the All Blacks

Ireland will play three of its naturalized players, Bondi Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson Park against their home country, New Zealand, in their second autumn test match on Saturday in Dublin. They were already part of the team that started the game they largely won against Japan (60-5) last week. Clover’s XV coach Andy Farrell only made one change by starting Iain Henderson in the second row in place of Tadhg Beirne.

For his 101st selection and his 14th game against the All Blacks, Johnny Sexton will wear the armband with hopes of winning third against the All Blacks after 2016 and 2018, Joey Carbery.

Gibson-Park’s tenure alongside Sexton indicates he has overtaken veteran Conor Murray (32) in the hierarchy for a scrum appearance, two years after the World Cup in France. During the last confrontation between the two teams in Dublin, Ireland won for the first time at home (16-9), but the Blacks swept 15th from Clover 46-14 in the next game, in the quarter-finals of the tournament. World Cup 2019 in Japan.

Ireland composition:

Kenan – Conway, Rangers, Aki, Louie – Sexton (hat, x), Gibson Park (m) – Conan, Van der Velleer, Dory – Ryan, Henderson – Furlong, Keeler, Porter
Alternatives: Hearing, Healy, Pelham, Byrne, O’Mahony, Murray, Carbery, Earls