Opportunities abound as Farrell shakes things up in Australia

Murray Kinsella Reports from Newcastle

THE SHAME IS that such an interesting, exciting Ireland squad looks likely to be watched by one of the smallest crowds they will ever play international rugby in front of.

Test rugby usually involves full houses, but Japan hosting Ireland in the harbour city of Newcastle, a two-hour drive north of Sydney, is veering away from the norm.

Japan are an invitational team in the Nations Championship, which the IRFU part-owns, so they had to come to Australia for this ‘home’ game as Ireland decided against what would have been a gruelling journey from here to Japan onto New Zealand.

So it’s Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms who have had to jump on a plane this week, coming from Tokyo after beating Italy 27-10 last weekend. They go back to Tokyo after this clash and face France back in Tokyo next weekend.

There was hope from the Irish side that this game could take place in Melbourne, where there is a big Irish community. It’s a much bigger city with some high-quality stadiums and Ireland playing there would have generated lots of interest.

Japan, though, wanted to be based in Newcastle, where they will face Samoa in their opening World Cup game next year. This is a trial run of the hotel, facilities and everything else. And they’re fully justified in making that call.

It does mean that a small crowd is expected in the 33,000-capacity McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday. As things stand, the talk is that there may only be around 10,000 people there to watch Ireland take on Japan.

It is hard to ask the Irish diaspora in Sydney who were at the Allianz Stadium last weekend to trek up the road to Newcastle, particularly given the kick-off time of 8.10pm. That means booking a hotel too.

In fairness, lots of them will travel for the game, and there is a proud Irish community in Newcastle too. They’ll generate some noise, no doubt.

And there is plenty of intrigue in what happens on the pitch. Ireland clearly respect this Japan team, but the reality is they are ranked 12th in the world. Hence, Andy Farrell shakes things up with nine changes to his starting XV and six to the bench.

Opportunities abound, but there is some pressure with that. This game against Japan and the November clash with Fiji in Dublin in the second Nations Championship window look like the final chances for Farrell to truly experiment ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

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He did give Edwin Edogbo and Nathan Doak their international debuts during this year’s Six Nations, but those campaigns generally involve picking frontline players every single time.

So those who have come into the side against Japan know they need to make a lasting impression.

After Jamie Osborne got the first shot of the post-James Lowe era in the number 11 shirt against Australia, the experienced Jacob Stockdale lines up there. The Ulster man got two starts during the Six Nations, but it feels like a pressing chance for him.

Similarly, right wing Jimmy O’Brien knows that there are lots of other wide men to return, with Tommy O’Brien, Mack Hansen, Robert Baloucoune, Calvin Nash and Shayne Bolton all sidelined. So this set of Irish wings need to show their class.

Robbie Henshaw has had a frustratingly stop-start season due to injury niggles, which make it tough to be in top form. When that happens to a player in their 30s, they tend to get completely written off in some quarters.

But Farrell knows that being 33 is not an automatic barrier to performing in international rugby. He values Henshaw’s combativeness but will certainly want to see the Leinster centre serving a reminder of his class against Japan.

The Irish halfbacks are two ambitious men. Craig Casey is next in line to Jamison Gibson-Park, and while the latter is one of the best in the game, the Munster man doesn’t just want to be second-choice. Against Japan, he will look to run the show with poise.

It is a little hard to believe that Ciarán Frawley will get his first-ever Test start at out-half on Saturday. His only other Irish start was at fullback in the 2024 Six Nations.

He has had excellent contributions off the bench at out-half, of course, but this is a prime opportunity for him at a good time. Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley have been in and out of the team at number 10, so Frawley must feel there is an opportunity.

He is going to Connacht next season to finally get a run of starts at out-half. At the age of 28, he must fully quash any doubts about whether he can be a leading man.

Nick Timoney has earned his shot to start in the number seven shirt, while Sean Jansen comes in at number eight thanks to his excellent form for Connacht. Collision winners are a precious commodity in rugby, and Jansen has been one for his province.

Ireland have been keen to see how that transfers into Test rugby and if he can dominate physically against Japan, it will surely earn him further consideration.

The Irish front five features less experimentation, with loosehead options having been challenged by the ongoing injury issues and Tom O’Toole continuing to learn his craft there. 

Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne are well-established members of Farrell’s group, with Beirne getting the honour of leading the team out as captain for the first time.

The bench, though, features an exciting amount of change. A 20-year-old loosehead prop getting his Ireland debut doesn’t happen too often, but Billy Bohan has been excellent for Connacht.

The injury issues have opened the door, but he is a diligent, athletic and determined young man. 

Sam Illo is five years older, although that’s still young in tighthead terms. He has always been a brilliant athlete with size and power, but he has really figured out his craft this season. Illo only had two starts for Connacht before this campaign. He started 13 games for Connacht this season, keeping Finlay Bealham out of the team and off this tour.

Bryn Ward turns 22 next week, yet he is another player who has pushed on quickly this season, having been sidelined by injury in 2024/25. An explosive athlete, he has an aggressive attitude to go with his power.

As with Jansen, there’s no much runway to the World Cup for the three other new caps but they have a chance to shake up any previous longer-term plans.

It’s good to see Ulster lock/blindside Cormac Izuchukwu included on the bench for what will be his fifth cap. He made his Six Nations debut at number six against Italy this year but was then slowed up by injuries.

Izuchukwu is a more laid-back character than many of the Ireland squad, but Farrell and co. clearly want to convert his athleticism into Test-level performances.

Harry Byrne comes in from the relative cold, having last been capped during the 2024 Six Nations. Revived by his loan in Bristol and having learned from the tough recent Champions Cup final experience, he will hope for a good stint off the bench.

Doak will aim to put even more pressure on Casey for the spot behind Gibson-Park, while Ulster hooker Tom Stewart is out to cement his status as the third in line behind Dan Sheehan and Kelleher.

And having gone through the horror of worrying that he had given up the game-losing penalty in Sydney last weekend, the evergreen Bundee Aki will be planning to make a positive impact on this game.

So while there may not be a big crew in attendance in Newcastle, there are many reasons that this clash with Japan is a big deal.