8 Munster players in Irish match day squad to play Japan

Schmidt names team to take on Japan.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has announced the team to face Japan in Shizuoka on Saturday (kick-off 2pm local time/6am Irish time) in the second Test of the three-match summer tour.

There are six changes in personnel to the side that started last weekend’s 55-19 victory over the USA in New Jersey, with Andrew Conway, Rory Scannell, Luke McGrath and Dan Leavy all coming in for their first starts.

There are 6 Munster players in the starting team. Keith Earls, the man-of-the-match in the tour opener, shifts to the left wing to accommodate the inclusion of Conway who starts his first test of the Summer tour in an all Munster back three completed by Simon Zebo, who returns at full back.

Munster Rory Scannell will partner Garry Ringrose at centre.

Rory’s brother Niall will start alongside his fellow teammate John Ryan in the front row along with Leinster’s Cian Healy.

While Dave Kilcoyne and Jack O’Donoghue are named on the replacements bench.

Ireland starting XV:

15.Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 34
14.Andrew Conway(Garryowen/Munster) 1
13.Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 9
12.Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 1
11.Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 60
10.Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 23
9. Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 3
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 68
2. Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 5
3. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 7
4. Quinn Roux(Galwegians/Connacht) 2
5. Devin Toner(Lansdowne/Leinster) 48
6. Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt) 14
7. Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 3
8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 2

Replacements:
16.James Tracy (UCD/Leinster) 2
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 18
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 6
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ballymena/Ulster) *
20. Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) 1
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 14
22. Rory O’Loughlin (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
23. Tiernan O’Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht) 4

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