Uncapped Connacht centre Hugh Gavin will start for Ireland against Portugal on Saturday as Leinster’s Jamie Osborne has been called up to the British & Irish Lions.
The Ireland team was announced earlier this morning with Gavin named in the replacements but the change means he now joins Shayne Bolton and Alex Kendellen as the other uncapped players in the starting XV.
Calvin Nash comes in to the replacements.
Saturday’s game in Lisbon will be Ireland’s 765th Men’s Test and it will be broadcast live on Virgin Media.
Ireland Team & Replacements
15: Jimmy O’Brien (Naas RFC/Leinster)(9)
14: Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(1)
13: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)*
12: Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC/Ulster)(20)
11: Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*
10: Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)(25)
9: Craig Casey (Shannon RFC/Munster)(captain)(19)
1: Jack Boyle (UCD RFC/Leinster)(3)
2: Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster)(5)
3: Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)(7)
4: Tom Ahern (Shannon RFC/Munster)(1)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)(1)
6: Ryan Baird (Dublin University FC/Leinster)(28)
7: Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster)*
8: Cian Prendergast (UCD RFC/Connacht)(4)
Replacements:
16: Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)(3)
17: Michael Milne (UCD RFC/Munster)(1)
18: Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)(16)
19: Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)(2)
20: Max Deegan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)(3)
21: Ben Murphy (Clontarf FC/Connacht)(1)
22: Ciaran Frawley (UCD RFC/Leinster)(8)
23: Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(11)
