Irish Rugby

Image source, Inpho

Ireland interim forwards coach Cullie Tucker says their Test against Portugal on Saturday is one that will provide a "significant" challenge.

With usual head coach Andy Farrell and 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty in Australia, Paul O'Connell leads the inexperienced side into the game in Lisbon after a comfortable 34-5 win against Georgia last weekend.

And while pleased with their performance in the victory in Tbilisi, Tucker believes Portugal - under former Racing 92 and Munster assistant Simon Mannix - will provide another stern test.

"They're a very good rugby team and it is a game that needs to be taken very seriously," he said.

"We're here to win two games and they're going to provide a different challenge to Georgia and a significant one with the heat on top of that.

"They're coached by Simon Mannix, who is a serious operator, so it is going to be a very tough game, and we are going to prepare for it to be tough."

Tucker took interim charge of Connacht last season after the departure of Pete Wilkins but will return to his role as scrum and contact coach at the province after Ireland's summer tour to work under new boss Stuart Lancaster.

He said the experience away as a coach with Ireland under O'Connell has been hugely beneficial.

"It's been a brilliant experience, it is always good to get in with new coaches, but the calibre of coaching has been outstanding," he added.

"It is great to work with them and everyone is across each other, so it is great to have that environment. We're being really accurate with the messages we have been delivering, and Paul has been driving that."

Image source, Inpho

Jacob Stockdale has been ruled out of Ireland's match with Portugal after suffering a shoulder injury in Saturday's win in Georgia.

The Ulster wing was forced off late in the first half of the 34-5 win with his left arm in a makeshift sling using his shirt.

In a squad update issued on Monday, Ireland confirmed that the 29-year-old will be absent for the final game of the summer tour in Portugal on Saturday (19:00 BST) and will see a specialist in Ireland next week.

It is the latest blow for Stockdale in an Ireland jersey, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in his previous international appearance against Fiji in November.

With 16 Ireland players on British and Irish Lions duty, Stockdale was the most experienced international in interim head coach Paul O'Connell's squad.

Cian Prendergast has recovered from illness and will be available for selection after missing the win against Georgia.

Stockdale's Ulster team-mate Scott Wilson has also returned home after the prop was called up as injury cover.

O'Connell has no further injury concerns and will name his team for the game against Portugal on Thursday.

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland interim head coach Paul O'Connell said he "loved" the "intent and hunger" his players showed in the 34-5 win over Georgia in Tbilisi.

An inexperienced Ireland squad which featured six debutants proved too strong for their hosts thanks to Tommy O'Brien's early double and second-half tries from first-time captain Craig Casey and Nick Timoney.

O'Connell, who will also lead Ireland in next week's match with Portugal in Lisbon while head coach Andy Farrell leads the British and Irish Lions, was buoyed by how his side adapted to the wet conditions.

The former Ireland captain said: "We prepared for certain conditions.

"Unfortunately, it ended up with different conditions and that's what's most most pleasing: our half-backs and the leadership in the team were able to flick a switch and change the plan and deliver a really accurate plan given the conditions we had.

"I loved the intent the players played with, I loved the hunger they played with, I loved how tough they were and how accurate they were."

O'Brien was one of two Ireland debutants in the starting line-up, with Michael Milne, Tom Ahern, Jack Aungier and Ben Murphy earning their first caps off the bench.

"In terms of our new caps, it's exciting because we actually haven't had a massive amount of injuries in the past few years," added O'Connell.

"Sometimes you need someone to have an injury to get a chance, so for the team to have done so well to allow so many players to go on the Lions tour and give these players an opportunity is brilliant for us.

"They all have a story to tell. Tommy O'Brien played against Georgia in 2018 as an Under-20 player, he's been through a lot of stuff with injuries. Other guys have had to move province to try and get game time. They've been through a lot to get their opportunity."

Casey, whose early second-half try dented Georgia's hopes of launching a fightback, said captaining his country is "certainly up there" with the best moments of his career.

"Very nice feeling feeling in that dressing room afterwards," said the Munster scrum-half, 26.

"Building all week, winning is the most important especially as the captain and it's certainly a nice feeling, so it ranks highly."

Image source, Getty Images

Jacob Stockdale is set to miss Ireland's match with Portugal after suffering a shoulder injury in Saturday's win in Georgia.

The Ulster wing, 29, was forced off late in the first half of the 34-5 win with his left arm in a makeshift sling using his shirt.

He will have a scan to determine the extent of his injury and miss the final game of Ireland's summer tour in Portugal on Saturday.

It is the latest blow for Stockdale in an Ireland jersey, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in his previous international appearance against Fiji in November.

After impressing in the 2017 autumn internationals, Stockdale shone in the 2018 Six Nations when he was the tournament's top try scorer.

However, injuries and a loss of form meant his appearances were limited under head coach Andy Farrell and he missed out on selection for the 2023 World Cup.

After largely being a fringe player under Farrell, Stockdale was handed the opportunity to start in Tbilisi under interim coach Paul O'Connell.

The chance came about with 16 players away on the Farrell-led British and Irish Lions tour in Australia, but Stockdale's 40th Ireland appearance was cut short and he is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Image source, Getty Images

British and Irish Lions captain Tadhg Beirne said the side were again limited by "too many errors and turnovers" in their stuttering 21-10 win over the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.

The tourists claimed their third-successive win on Australian soil but, two weeks out from the first Test against the Wallabies, the performance contained a host of errors in promising attacking positions.

"It was quite frustrating out there that we couldn't get a hold of things in the game the way we would have liked to," said Beirne, who led the side in the absence of tour skipper Maro Itoje.

"I'd a few dropped balls myself and individual errors cost us a bit of continuity in terms of our attack.

"That's something we're definitely going to have to look at and figure out how to improve so it doesn't happen again."

Beirne noted that Andy Farrell's side "kept at it" and, with a more clinical streak, could have racked up the type of 50-point tally they had against the Reds and Western Force.

While those victories also contained similar passages lacking in rhythm, Beirne thought their latest win displayed the strides being made elsewhere.

"We've had a lot of improvements," added the 33-year-old Munster forward.

"Our scrum improved a lot, our line-out was really good. We'll take some really good positives as well."

Image source, Inpho

Max Deegan will replace Cian Prendergast on the Ireland bench for Saturday's Test match against Georgia in Tbilisi (18:00 BST).

In a squad update on Saturday afternoon, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said Connacht back row Prendergast withdrew from the game because of illness.

Leinster's Deegan, 28, made his Ireland debut in February 2020 and earned his second cap against Fiji in November 2022.

With Caelan Doris injured and Jack Conan on British and Irish Lions duty, Munster's Gavin Coombes starts at number eight against Georgia.

Ireland: J O'Brien; T O'Brien; J Osborne, S McCloskey; J Stockdale; S Prendergast, C Casey (capt); J Boyle, G McCarthy, T Clarkson; C Izuchukwu, D Murray; R Baird, N Timoney, G Coombes.

Replacements: T Stewart, M Milne, J Aungier, T Ahern, M Deegan, B Murphy, J Crowley, C Nash

Image source, Getty Images

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Another new face in the Ireland set-up, Darragh Murray is another youngster who cut his teeth in the Emerging Ireland and Ireland 'A' environments before earning his call-up to the big time.

A 6ft 7in lock from Roscommon, the 23-year-old has firmly established himself in the Connacht second row, starting 11 United Rugby Championship games this season.

Murray, whose older brother Niall is also a Connacht second row, is an effective line-out jumper and ball-carrier.

Having been a talented Gaelic footballer in his youth, Murray looks to have chosen the right sporting path as he closes in on becoming Roscommon's first Ireland international since Jack Carty.

Murray will get an early chance to impress this summer having been selected to start Saturday's Test against Georgia by interim head coach by Paul O'Connell, the inspiration for all emerging Irish locks.

Image source, Inpho

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Hugh Gavin has ticked off most checkpoints on his way to a first Ireland call-up.

The centre, who can also play on the wing, the 21-year-old Galway-born back was virtually ever-present in the past two Six Nations Under-20 and World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaigns.

Having been promoted to the Connacht senior side ahead of the 2024-25 season, he made 10 appearances in the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup (including seven starts).

He also started Ireland A's defeat by England in February, scoring a late try in the 25-12 loss at Ashton Gate.

Gavin has a world-class centre in Bundee Aki to learn from at Connacht, but he missed much of the 2024-25 season because of an ankle injury.

However, with six starts under his belt - including two alongside Aki in the Challenge Cup knockout stages - since the start of March, he looks primed to stake his claim for a regular berth in the Irish backline.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland fell to a dramatic 18-16 defeat by hosts Italy in the second Pool C game in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Viadana.

Italy, who lost their opener to New Zealand, took the lead after 12 minutes when number eight Nelson Casartelli went in for the game's first try.

Irish fly-half Tom Wood's penalty reduced the deficit, but Edoardo Todaro's reply gave the Italians an 8-3 half-time lead.

A second penalty from Wood's boot again narrowed the gap to two points, but Italy extended their lead to 15-6 when lock Pierro Gritti grounded at the end of a driving maul.

But after Casartelli was yellow carded, replacement Irish hooker Mikey Yarr finished in the corner to give Neil Doak's side renewed hope despite a missed conversion attempt.

With Ireland second row Billy Corrigan sent to the bin, another Todaro penalty put Italy 18-11 ahead with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Ireland - who beat Georgia in their first game - refused to give in and scored their second try through 19-year-old replacement back row Oisin Minogue.

However, Sam Wisniewski missed his conversion attempt to earn a dramatic draw with the last kick of the game to spark jubilant scenes for the home side at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella.

Having earned a losing bonus point, Ireland sit on six points, three adrift of Pool C leaders New Zealand, who they face on Wednesday. Italy are on four points, two ahead of Georgia.

The winners of each pool and the best second-ranked team will qualify for the semi-finals.

Image source, Inpho

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Scott Wilson's rampaging ball-carrying has already made him a crowd favourite at Ulster and the prop has been rewarded with a late call-up to Paul O'Connell's Ireland squad four days before the tour opener against Georgia.

Regarded as having a big future in front of him, the prop overcame early injuries in his career, having three surgeries, one on his elbow and two on his ankle.

The now 22-year-old made his debut for Ulster against Munster in November 2023 and scored his first try for the northern province in their last-16 Challenge Cup win away to Montpellier in April 2024.

Wilson was a Grand Slam winner with Ireland in the Under-20 Six Nations in 2022 and was selected for the Emerging Ireland squad which toured South Africa last autumn.

The front row made a total of 19 appearances for Ulster in the 2024-25 term in either a starting or replacement role, 14 in the United Rugby Championship and five in the Champions Cup.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland captain Craig Casey says the squad are keen to "make it a special week" for the debutants who will face Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday.

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty, the Munster scrum-half leads the side for this summer's Tests against Georgia and Portugal.

Interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell has handed debuts to Leinster wing Tommy O'Brien and Connacht second row Darragh Murray for Saturday's match at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium (18:00 BST).

Props Michael Milne and Jack Aungier, along with Munster's Tom Ahern and Connacht scrum-half Ben Murphy, are also in line to make their senior international bows off the bench.

"It's unbelievable for them to earn their first caps and it's a huge opportunity for all of us. It's a massive privilege for us to put on the Irish jersey at any stage," said Casey in a pre-match media interview provided by the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU].

"It's up to us to lay down a marker and make it a special week for them."

The Munster number nine added that it was "a special honour" to be skippering the team given the pedigree of the previous incumbents in the role.

"The players that I'm following, it's class to be in that kind of recognition with those type of players," he added.

"I'm delighted with it. It'll be a special day for my family and everyone who has put a lot of work into me."

Casey is anticipating a formidable physical challenge from Georgia, who are ranked 11th in the world.

"We're expecting them to be up the walls with physicality and bring their game to us. They've got a back row who are going to contest every breakdown.

"I think if we're on our breakdown we'll have a good day, we'll have to do a lot of work there.

"Obviously their forwards set the platform for them but they have a high-quality backline. They have some really big threats.

"Their number 15, Davit Niniashvili, is a high-class player. He has shown it in the Top 14 and he's shown it in Europe. I imagine their fans are going to make it a special occasion for them, they'll be delighted to have Ireland over and try to knock us off."

Image source, Inpho

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Jack Aungier was called into the Ireland squad for their two summer internationals after Connacht team-mate Finlay Bealham was added to the British and Irish Lions squad following the withdrawal of Scotland's Zander Ferguson with a calf injury.

The 26-year-old tight-head prop is a product of the Leinster academy where he ended up making five senior appearances.

Aungier has made 88 appearances for Connacht since signing for them in 2020. He made a try-scoring debut for the westerners against Ulster.

The Dublin-born forward featured for Emerging Ireland on their tour to South Africa last autumn and also trained with the Ireland squad during this year's Six Nations and played for Ireland A against England A in February.

Aungier was an integral part of the Connacht squad in the 2024-25 campaign, performing regularly to a high level in both the United Rugby Championship and his side's run to the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Image source, Getty Images

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Back Tommy O'Brien made his debut for Leinster in 2019 but injury setbacks have prevented him furthering his career and international prospects at a faster rate.

The 27-year-old seasoned provincial player has put in impressive displays in the latter end of the 2024-25 campaign, his rich vein of form including a player-of-the match performance against Irish interprovincial rivals Ulster in April.

He scored a spectacular try in that game, also crossing while shining against Glasgow and Northampton in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup to make it try-scoring performances in three successive games.

O'Brien can play on the wing or at centre and represented Ireland Under-20s between 2017 and 2018, captaining the side in 2018.

He also played for Ireland A in their game against their English counterparts in Bristol in February.

O'Brien has yet to be capped at senior level despite previous experience training with the panel.

Image source, Getty Images

With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Ben Murphy has been promoted to the senior squad, having enjoyed previous experience training with the panel.

Having impressed in the early stages of the 2024-25 campaign, the number nine was selected by then interim Ireland coach Simon Easterby as one of four training panellists ahead of the Six Nations.

The 24-year-old scrum-half, son of Ulster coach Richie, has reaped the dividends of leaving Leinster last summer to earn more first-team action with Connacht.

He continued his fine form in the latter stages of the season, thereby booking a berth in Paul O'Connell's squad for the two summer Tests.

He played 16 games for the western province in the term just passed, scoring nine tries, including a hat-trick in the European Challenge Cup match against Lyon in January.

Image source, Inpho

Ireland's Jamie Osborne believes his ability to cover a number of positions is "definitely a strength".

Osborne made his Test debut at full-back and has also played at centre and on the wing and the 23-year-old hopes he can continue to make the most of his versatility as he prepares to wear the 13 jersey against Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday (18:00 BST).

"I think it's definitely a strength, sometimes it can seem a bit like a bit of a weakness at times if you're, say, not selected and you're thinking 'maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position,'" he said.

"I suppose over time we'll see and hopefully I can figure out how to best utilise it."

Osborne is part of an inexperienced Ireland side for Tests games against Georgia and Portugal that will be lead by Paul O'Connell while Andy Farrell is on British and Irish Lions duty.

With 16 Ireland players also on tour in Australia, interim head coach O'Connell has 13 uncapped players in his travelling squad and could hand out as many as six debuts against Georgia.

While Osborne said that camp "feels a bit different" with a new-look coaching staff and so many new players, he believes the squad are focused on impressing enough to earn inclusion in future Ireland squads.

"It's definitely a chance to put our hands up," he added.

"It's the lads who've been here for a while who are showing the younger lads how to prepare for games, how to train and how to bring your thoughts to meetings. We're just trying to raise the standard up to the level it was."

Osborne also praised O'Connell's influence since he stepped up from forwards coach to the interim head coach role.

"He's similar to what he's been in past camps really, he's unbelievably detailed in his preparation and in his delivery of messages.

"You know exactly what he wants from you, and you really want to live up to his expectations of you because he'll tell you if you're not and he's honest like that.

"I think he's been brilliant in the head coach role."

Image source, Inpho

Ulster Rugby's home ground has been renamed the Affidea Stadium after a "long-term" sponsorship agreement with the healthcare company.

The Belfast ground, originally known as Ravenhill, had been called Kingspan Stadium since 2014.

An Ulster statement said the new deal will provide "a strong platform to invest in the development of players, facilities and fan experience".

"Together, we will continue to invest in elite and grassroots rugby, and we look forward to seeing the Affidea Stadium become a beacon for sport and community pride in Ulster," said the province's chief executive officer Hugh McCaughey.

Ulster's 11-year naming rights deal with construction firm Kingspan concluded at the end of last month, while the association went back to 1999.

The commercial relationship with the Cavan-based company had been questioned in the wake of the firm's links to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Seventy-two people died in the fire in London in 2017 and Kingspan's business practices were criticised during an inquiry.

The company, however, said its products made up only 5% of the insulation at Grenfell and that they were used without its recommendation.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Interim head coach Paul O'Connell says his youthful Ireland team's performance in Georgia on Saturday "won't be perfect".

O'Connell has handed debuts to second row Darragh Murray and wing Tommy O'Brien, while four more players could make first Ireland appearances off the bench.

Ireland are without the 16 players who are in Australia with the British and Irish Lions, and captain Caelan Doris and Robbie Henshaw are missing through injury.

Although former Ireland lock O'Connell says preparations have "been good", he says learning from mistakes will be part of the process in Tbilisi.

"We're aware of that, even when we play with the most experienced internationals," O'Connell said.

"Trying to make the players aware of that as well is really important and we just have to crack on."

Jacob Stockdale is the most-capped player with 39 caps, while Stuart McCloskey is the only player over the age of 30.

Eleven of the starting 15 have fewer than 10 caps, something that also applies to all but one of the replacements, and O'Connell says there will likely be some nerves in his players.

"That's part of it, you almost have to experience that to learn how to figure it out," he said.

"That's why we wanted them in that two-week prep window as that's what international rugby is all about.

"They experience how to come in and learn quickly and how to get aligned quickly.

"Ultimately, until you are in the middle of it and you make a mistake, it's only by getting on the field and experiencing it that you really learn."

O'Connell added that facing Georgia, who defeated Japan and Tonga last year and narrowly lost to Italy, will be a "real challenge" for his players.

"It's not a Test match of small significance, it's a match where they have to perform," he said.

"They are going to learn a lot. We are going to learn a lot."