Ireland will tour New Zealand in July as preparations for the World Cup next year build-up. The Emerald Isle will play five matches in total including three tests series against the All-Blacks.
The first game of the series got off to a poor start as the Maori All Blacks defeated the Boys in Green 32-17 in Hamilton.
Attention now turns to Saturday when they travel to Auckland to do battle with the All Blacks which is live on Sky Sports. The coverage to the game begins at 7:30am Irish time.
They meet again a week later on the 9th in Dunedin with coverage again beginning at 7:30am Irish time. The Irish will be looking to overturn this morning’s defeat to the Maori All Blacks, when they contest again on July 12th, in Wellington.
The final All Black test will take place on the 16th July in Wellington at the same time as Andy Farrell looks to become the first Irish head coach to win on New Zealand soil.
Ireland have defeated the All Blacks three times since 2016 including in the Autumn series last year 29-20. Ireland have named five uncapped players in an extended 40-man squad.
Leinster trio Ciaran Frawley (centre), Joe McCarthy (second row) and Jimmy O’Brien (wing), Munster’s Jeremy Loughman (loosehead prop) and Connacht’s Cian Prendergast (back-row) make up the uncapped selections, with the squad captained by 36-year-old Johnny Sexton.
Backs (18): Bundee Aki, Harry Byrne, Joey Carbery, Craig Casey, Keith Earls, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, James Hume, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Michael Lowry, Conor Murray, Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton (c).
Forwards (22): Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Dave Heffernan, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Jeremy Loughman, Joe McCarthy, Peter O’Mahony, Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Kieran Treadwell, Josh van der Flier.
It is set to be an action packed month of rugby for Irish rugby.
