Farrell wants four new caps to 'rip in' against Brave Blossoms

Murray Kinsella Reports from Newcastle

ANDY FARRELL HAS given 54 players their Ireland debuts since taking over ahead of the 2020 Six Nations.

The number will jump up to 58 on Saturday as Ireland face Japan in Newcastle, Australia.

27-year-old Connacht number eight Sean Jansen, a native of New Zealand who qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, will make his debut at number eight against Japan.

20-year-old Kildare man Billy Bohan is ready to be introduced off the bench at loosehead prop, with another Connacht player, 25-year-old Sam Illo, named as the replacement tighthead.

The fourth man set to make his Ireland debut is 21-year-old Ulster back row Bryn Ward.

It’s exciting to see so many fresh faces in an Ireland match-day 23, with Farrell shaking things up for this Nations Championship clash with the Brave Blossoms.

“I’m really excited about this one for all sorts of reasons,” said Ireland boss Farrell in Newcastle.

“Obviously, it’s always a special occasion when you give one person a debut, never mind four. I’m really looking forward to how they apply themselves to attacking the game, first and foremost, because that’s the roles they’re able to add to the team and the performance behind all that.

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“But making sure that the rest of the team are there to support them and for it to be a special day for them. So, yeah, huge congratulations to the four of them.

“It’s business time now. They need to rip in.”

Jansen arrived at Connacht in 2023 and has developed into a hugely effective force for the western province at number eight.

His ball-carrying and tackling power are major strengths.

“It is what it says on the tin,” said Farrell of Jansen. “He’s a great lad. He’s obviously a workhorse.

“He’s a confident lad in camp. I didn’t know him too much before all this but I’m super-excited to see how he has prepared to transfer into the international stage. I’m sure it’s a huge honour for him and his family.”

There are other big milestones in the Irish selection, with Tadhg Beirne captaining the team from the start of a game for the first time.

Farrell said that 34-year-old second row Beirne “typifies everything that we’d want within a captain of Ireland, how he goes about his job, how he understands what it is that we’re after as a team, driving standards, all of that.”

Beirne deserves the “huge honour” of captaining, added Farrell.

Hooker Rónan Kelleher will get his 50th cap on Saturday, with Farrell praising him for the “level of consistency at the top level” that he has produced. Kelleher was the second new cap of the Farrell era, just after Caelan Doris.

Nine changes to the starting XV is a big number for Farrell, with the likes of Ciarán Frawley, Craig Casey, Robbie Henshaw and Jacob Stockdale coming in for chances to impress.

So this weekend is not just about the new caps.

“People get the first chance, some people get another chance to show us what they’ve got going forward and whether they can truly believe that they’re going to add to this team and be part of what’s coming up over the next wee while,” said Farrell.

“There’s all of that that gets thrown into the mix. I suppose you are running out of opportunities for that to happen, to give these lads their legs and to take on board learnings from last week and taking us forward as a group is there for everyone to attack this weekend.”

Ireland are favourites for the clash at McDonald Jones Stadium, but Farrell underlined again that Eddie Jones’ Japan need to be respected.

“Well, for anyone who’s seen the games, a team that’s bang in form,” said Farrell of what he expects.

“I mentioned the Maori game last week and how they played against them. Obviously, the confidence that they took from that is what they took into the Italian game [Japan won 27-10 in Tokyo], and we all know how difficult Italy are these days to play against with the type of rugby that they want to play.

“I thought Japan dominated the game from start to finish last week, so the confidence that they’re going to bring over to Newcastle here is going to be the test that we’re after.”