Andy Farrell has named his Ireland team to play New Zealand with just one change for their series decider against the All Blacks.
Bundee Aki comes in for the injured Garry Ringrose and partners Robbie Henshaw in midfield. Johnny Sexton, who celebrated his 37th birthday this week, leads the team as he wins his 108th cap, equalling Paul O’Connell’s tally for Ireland.
Sexton will be partnered by Jamison Gibson-Park in the half-backs with the back three of Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe retained.
Farrell said:
“Selection has been difficult enough because people are always challenging within the group and challenging in the right manner.
“The meeting this morning was all about making sure that we’re on the same page and pushing in the right direction together, because the force of everyone’s that on tour – there’s a good few of us, there’s near seventy of us on tour.
“Everyone pushing in the right direction over the next couple of days is going to be a hell of a force for us. That’s the session after the selection and everyone’s right on point which is great news.”
He added: “Everyone realises the size of the task in hand, but there’s a lot of excitement in being able to deal with that. I think the best past of where we’re at is we know we can do better.
“What we’ve done pretty well over the last period of time is have a clear understanding of what our game is all about and what we need to do to get better. It becomes more clear and obvious the more that we push on together.
“Albeit we had a decent result in the last Test, hopefully our best is saved till last.”
Ireland team to play New Zealand
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 22 caps
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 5 caps
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 59 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 39 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 14 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 107 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 19 caps
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 9 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 59 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 32 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 86 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 19 caps
Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 27 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 117 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 24 caps
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 7 caps
20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 29 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 98 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 34 caps
23. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 97 caps