The Ireland team that next lines out for Test match action will have a distinctly fresh look about it, with plenty of players set for international debuts.
Ireland bid farewell to veterans Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony at Stadio Olimpico, on Saturday, after seeing off Italy in their final Six Nations engagement. Ireland had the oldest, and most experienced, squad in the championship but they are now in the midst of a significant rebuild.
Andy Farrell asked that veteran trio to stick around, after the 2023 World Cup, so the transition would not be so hard, after Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls hung up their boots. Farrell will be off on British & Irish Lions duty, this summer, so Simon Easterby will remain on as interim head coach.
Ireland have already announced a summer Test match against Portugal, and are set to confirm further outings against Georgia and Romania. Easterby will have to go on tour with at least a dozen of his top players away with the Lions.
We have taken on the challenge of selecting an Ireland XV for their summer tour opener, and certain areas proved a dog-fight for starting roles. Our match-day squad has eight debutants, with an experienced hand touring as captain.
Selecting an Ireland team for our 'Tier Two' summer tour
For this Ireland team selection exercise, the best option before getting into the nitty-gritty is to remove all the potential British & Irish Lions.
Players like Sam Prendergast, Finlay Bealham, Rónan Kelleher, Mack Hansen, Jack Conan and Garry Ringrose may be borderline calls, but we have left them out, for now.
Our tour captain is Iain Henderson, who may be soon winding down his international career but remains a solid pro, a proven leader and a great example to younger players. Max Deegan was Ireland 'A' captain, recently, and could easily lead this team in one of the three matches.
Craig Casey is hoping to return for Munster before the season concludes, so he gets the 9 jersey and partners Jack Crowley in the starting XV. One of the big head-scratchers was where to start Jamie Osborne (an outside shout for Lions selection). He is our inside centre but if he goes Down Under, Cathal Forde or Ciarán Frawley can slot in.
Elsewhere, we have an all Leinster front row, two Ulstermen in the second row and two Munster flankers in beside Connacht's Cian Prendergast in the back row. To be able to call upon a back three of Jacob Stockdale, Calvin Nash and Jimmy O'Brien, even with players away on Lions duty, is a luxury.
Our bench has five uncapped players, with Paddy McCarthy, Evan O'Connell and Ben Murphy the youngest of that quintet. Tommy O'Brien is as versatile as they come, and is going well for Leinster, so himself and Frawley are our Swiss army knives.
IRELAND TEAM FOR SUMMER TOUR OPENER
15. Jimmy O'Brien (Leinster)
14. Calvin Nash (Munster)
13. Tom Farrell (Munster)
12. Jamie Osborne (Leinster)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)
10. Jack Crowley (Munster)
9. Craig Casey (Munster)1. Jack Boyle (Leinster)
2. Gus McCarthy (Leinster)
3. Thomas Clarkson (Leinster)
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster) captain
5. Harry Sheridan (Ulster)*
6. Thomas Ahern (Munster)*
7. John Hodnett (Munster)*
8. Cian Prendergast (Connacht)
REPLACEMENTS: Diarmuid Barron (Munster)*, Paddy McCarthy (Leinster)*, Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Evan O'Connell (Munster)*, Max Deegan (Leinster), Ben Murphy (Connacht)*, Ciarán Frawley (Leinster), Tommy O'Brien (Leinster)*
Other players that will be hoping to get a summer call-up include Cormac Izuchukwu, Shayne Bolton, Fintan Gunne, Jude Postlethwaite, Caolin Blade, James Culhane, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Alex Kendellen, Darragh Murphy, and more.
Easterby will be keen to assess some upcoming talent but Ireland will not be just tossing out Test debuts like confetti. Depending on how Lions selection goes, Ireland may yet bring plenty of big-name players on this tour of 'Tier Two' nations.
SEE ALSO: Peter O'Mahony's Final Interview Crashed, As Lions Captain Now Looks Clear
