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Friday 18 October 2019 06:10, UK
Rob Kearney has fended off the challenge of Jordan Larmour to start Ireland's World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand at Tokyo Stadium on Saturday.
Full-back Kearney missed Ireland's 47-5 win over Samoa having failed to train fully in the week leading up to that seven-try win in Fukuoka.
His Leinster team-mate Larmour impressed against the Samoans as Ireland sealed the bonus-point win required to book their place in the last eight, but head coach Joe Schmidt has restored 94-cap Kearney to what amounts to Ireland's strongest starting XV, barring the suspended Bundee Aki.
Garry Ringrose returns at outside centre with Robbie Henshaw stepping inside to 12 to offset the absence of Aki, who was sent off against Samoa.
Peter O'Mahony slots in ahead of Tadhg Beirne at blindside flanker, with Rory Best captaining the side in an unchanged tight five.
"There were probably half a dozen reasonably tight selection decisions," said Schmidt. "And you weigh up the experiences, previous performances against other opposition.
"You can't guarantee you've got any decision right until the game is completed.
"Chris Farrell has been very good for us, really come on and made an influential impact against Scotland. Andrew Conway has been very good too, and so the outside backs have been a bit of a conundrum.
"We've tried to add up as best we can the combinations we think that will best serve us in this fixture.
"You can't go out against the All Blacks and accept that you're second fiddle. You've got to go out and put your best foot forward."
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best (c), 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Iain Henderson, 5 James Ryan, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 CJ Stander.
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Jordan Larmour.
