No Peter O’Mahony, nor Keith Earls. No room in Joe Schmidt’s squad for The All Blacks (Part II, Dublin revenge mission) as Iain Henderson comes onto the bench for the injured Ultan Dillane.
“There are a few guys who haven’t been able to train fully this week,” Schmidt explained this afternoon.
“Ultan Dillane has a sore knee. We had it checked out, there is nothing serious there. He should be fully ready to go next week (against Australia), he put in a super shift coming off the bench in Chicago and obviously last weekend.
“Keith Earls hasn’t trained so far this week, just a dead leg, he’ll be fine for next week.
“Peter O’Mahony didn’t manage to see out training on Monday. He trained fully today but we wanted to give some clarity before training. We have gone with the fit players.”
The other enforced change from the 40-29 victory in Chicago sees Sean O’Brien retained at number seven with 67 minutes against Canada being deemed enough to keep Josh van der Flier in reserve (Jordi Murphy, the third Leinster openside, has been all but ruled out for the season with a knee ligament injury).
“We thought it was probably better that Sean start than come off the bench. He needs to feel his way into the game.”
Van der Flier is due to arrive in the fourth quarter on Saturday evening, around the same time New Zealand launch their own openside replacement in Ardie Savea.
“Josh’s engine at the end of the day might serve us well.”
It means the least effective Ireland backrower - from Jamie Heaslip, CJ Stander and O’Brien - will make way as either Stander or O’Brien can cover number eight or flanker.
Henderson, who only resumed training this week following shoulder damage, has also proven himself as a hugely effective blindside.
O’Mahony will probably come back into the squad to face Michael Cheika’s Wallabies next weekend but the Munster captain can only be devastated after being squeezed out of the team he led out five days ago.
Simon Zebo and Garry Ringrose have also done enough to keep Earls out of the squad while Paddy Jackson comes in for Joey Carbery.
Ireland, according to New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen, are favourites.
“We know the challenge we face from Ireland will again be massive and we are going into the game as the underdogs,” he claimed earlier on Thursday.
Schmidt was asked to respond: “You would love to think that way, wouldn’t you? I wouldn’t suggest that he becomes a bookmaker. Think we are 6 to 1. Not that we are allowed indulge in that, but it is probably better than the 13 to 1 we were in Chicago. You certainly wouldn’t put us as favourites.
“A team that have won 18-in-a-row against some of the best teams in the world and done it by some margin. I think everyone is due a hiccup.
“I felt we deserved to get our nose in front when we did but I don’t think they are going to afford us any head starts this week.”
Mind games? “No, I don’t think so. I know Steve pretty well. Based on a recent result he put his summation on that. Look, I don’t think he believes that we will pay much heed to that because we know the quality that they are.
“Part of their quality is their coaching team. I would be a big admirer of some of the people involved there. I learned a lot off some of the people involved there.”
“How can you not have respect for them . . . to put 50 points on South Africa in South Africa, you can’t do that without being a super team.”
Ireland: Rob Kearney; Andrew Trimble, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Simon Zebo; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best (capt), Tadhg Furlong; Donnacha Ryan, Devin Toner; CJ Stander, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Sean Cronin, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, Kieran Marmion, Paddy Jackson, Garry Ringrose.
