Ireland name reshuffled team with Caelan Doris as captain vs Japan

Ireland will field a reshuffled side led by Caelan Doris when they host Japan at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, kickoff 12.40pm, in the Quilter Nations Series. Head coach Andy Farrell named a 23-player matchday squad that hands Munster centre Tom Farrell his first Test cap and returns Doris to the starting XV and captaincy after his comeback from shoulder surgery in last weekend’s defeat to New Zealand in Chicago.

Tom Farrell, uncapped before this selection, starts at outside centre alongside Robbie Henshaw. The back three is Jamie Osborne, Tommy O’Brien and Jacob Stockdale, with Jack Crowley at fly-half and Craig Casey at scrum-half. The front row is Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher and Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne hold the second row, and Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney and Doris make up the back row. The replacements include Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Finlay Bealham, Cian Prendergast, Jack Conan, Caolin Blade, Sam Prendergast and Jimmy O’Brien.

Farrell said the squad had worked to address weaknesses identified after the loss in Chicago and described Japan as a side who will “play the game in a positive manner and will look to ask questions of us.” He added that Tom...