TOKYO, 20 Sep - Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has settled speculation over injuries to experienced backs Rob Kearney and Keith Earls with his squad announcement for Ireland’s opening Pool A game against Scotland at International Stadium Yokohama on Sunday.
Full-back Kearney suffered a tight calf in training earlier this week. He will be replaced by the youngest member of the squad, 22-year-old Jordan Larmour, pictured above.
Winger Keith Earls has also been left out after suffering a quad injury against Wales in Ireland’s last warm-up game. He will make way for Andrew Conway, who makes his World Cup debut. Conway scored a hat-trick against Scotland at U20 level in the 2010 World Championship.
Schmidt stressed that both men had trained well and were available for selection, but he opted for Larmour and Conway.
In the pack, fellow World Cup debutant CJ Stander has held off the challenge of Jack Conan at number eight.
Jack Carty makes the bench as replacement fly-half ahead of Joey Carbery, who has been given additional time to recover from an ankle injury sustained in Ireland's first warm-up match against Italy.
Only four members of the match-day squad were in the 23 for Ireland's last World Cup game, against Argentina four years ago: Iain Henderson, Conor Murray, Cian Healy and Rory Best.
Captain Best, the oldest member of the squad at 37, will start in his fourth World Cup. He is leading Ireland for the 35th time.
- Cian Healy
- Rory Best (capt.)
- Tadhg Furlong
- Iain Henderson
- James Ryan
- Peter O'Mahony
- Josh Van der Flier
- CJ Stander
- Conor Murray
- Jonathan Sexton
- Jacob Stockdale
- Bundee Aki
- Garry Ringrose
- Andrew Conway
- Jordan Larmour
- Niall Scannell
- David Kilcoyne
- Andrew Porter
- Tadhg Beirne
- Jack Conan
- Luke McGrath
- Jack Carty
- Chris Farrell
RNS ar/bo