2023-09-07 15:46:49
Johnny Sexton is back in a very experienced Ireland XV, concocted by coach Andy Farrell to face Romania from Biarritz second row (Pro D2) Adrian Motoc, in Pool B of the World Cup. rugby, Saturday (3:30 p.m.), in Bordeaux.
The best team in the world in the World Rugby rankings, against the 19th nation in the world, will rely on the backbone that allowed it to win the Grand Slam in 2023, with an average of 51 selections per player in the starting XV.
Sexton, 38 years old and centurion (113 caps), injured in his adductor muscles since March and the victory against England closing the Tournament, has not played again since. Because of the injury, then a three-week suspension in July for “misconduct” during the Champions Cup final between his Leinster team and La Rochelle, which he attended in the stands.
The back triangle will consist of Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls and James Lowe, with Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki partnering at centre. In this experienced team, second-row Joe McCarthy is a beginner at the age of 22 and three caps.
In the third row, Doris will be surrounded by Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony, from Munster. Josh Van der Flier, best player in the world 2022, will start on the bench. In the ranks of Romania, in addition to Motoc, who saw his red card received against Italy canceled by an independent commission, there are two other players playing in France: the pillar Iulian Hartig (RC Bassin d’Arcachon) and the winger Nicolas Onutu (CS Vienna).
Compared to the last preparation match heavily lost against Italy (57-7), there are three changes within the Chênes who align in their back lines four naturalized from the Pacific: the fly-half Hinckley Vaovasa, the winger Tevita Manumua and centers Jason Tomane and Fonovai Tangimana.
Veteran scrum half Florin Surugiu, 38, already present during the 2011 and 2015 World Cups but recently injured, is insufficiently recovered for this first match.
Composition of the teams:
Irlande : Keenan – Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe – (o) Sexton (cap.), (m) Gibson-Park – O’Mahony, Doris, Beirne – Ryan, McCarthy – Furlong, Herring, Porter
Remplaçants : Kelleher, Loughman, O’Toole, Henderson, Van der Flier, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw
Romania: Simionescu – Onutu, Tangimana, Tomane, Manumua – (o) Vaovasa, (m) Rupanu – Neculau, Chirica (cap.), Rosu – Iancu, Motoc – Gordas, Cojocaru, Hartig
Substitutes: Bardasu, Savin, Gajion, Iftimiciuc, Ser, Conache, Boldor, Gontineac
#Rugby #World #Cup #Irish #Johnny #Sexton #returns #Romania