Sam Prendergast starts for Ireland as team named for Australia clash

Ireland have named their team for the match against Australia.

Andy Farrell has given Sam Prendergast the nod at out-half ahead of Jack Crowley for Ireland's clash with Australia on Saturday.

Ireland take on the Wallabies at the Aviva Stadium this weekend (kick-off: 3.10 pm), as they finish off their Autumn Nations Series.

A grim 23-13 loss to the All Blacks was followed up by a narrow victory over Argentina - where Ireland failed to score in the second half - before a comfortable hammering of Fiji last week.

Injury-wise, Ireland are without Jamie Osborne, Ryan Baird, Jacob Stockdale, and Tadhg Furlong, with the tight head not featuring at all this November.

Andy Farrell has made six changes to the starting XV from the Fiji win, with Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Rónan Kelleher and James Ryan all coming in, while Tadhg Beirne moves back to blindside flanker.

Cian Healy was expected to become Ireland's most capped player of all-time last week, but instead he on course to break his shared record with Brian O'Driscoll off the bench this weekend.

Jack Crowley had a superb outing against Argentina two weeks ago, but Prendergast showed enough in his cameo that day, and during his performance against Fiji, to warrant another start.

The match-day squad breaks down as follows: 14 Leinster, 4 Munster, 3 Connacht, 2 Ulster.

Ireland 23 vs Australia: 

15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(41)
14. Mack Hansen (Corinthians/Connacht)(24)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(76)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(59)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(35)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(37)

1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(69)
2. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(36)
3. Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht)(45)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(15)
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(66)
6. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(55)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(67)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(46)(captain)

Replacements:

16. Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(1)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(133)
18. Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(15)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(83)
20. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(109)
21. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(17)
22. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(18)
23. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(62).