Ireland bench captain O’Mahony and rule out Aki for 2nd Springboks test
Ireland bench captain O’Mahony and rule out Aki for 2nd Springboks test
Ireland’s Caelan Doris, left, clashes with South Africa’s Marco van Staden during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Franco Mostert, left, wins a line out catch against Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Ireland’s Caelan Doris, left, clashes with South Africa’s Marco van Staden during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Ireland’s Caelan Doris, left, clashes with South Africa’s Marco van Staden during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Franco Mostert, left, wins a line out catch against Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Franco Mostert, left, wins a line out catch against Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — Ireland benched captain Peter O’Mahony and ruled out injured center Bundee Aki from the lineup to face South Africa in the second test on Saturday at Kings Park Stadium.
Following the 27-20 loss in Pretoria in the first test, Ireland made four changes, two of them enforced by tour-ending injuries to hooker Dan Sheehan and scrumhalf Craig Casey. As expected, they were replaced by Ronan Kelleher and Conor Murray.
Tadhg Beirne has moved from lock to the blindside flank vacated by O’Mahony, and former captain James Ryan moves into the second row after his impact off the bench last weekend.
O’Mahony was in the reserves, and coach Andy Farrell was impressed at how he took the news.
“It was very easy because of how he is as a person,” Farrell said on Thursday. “You don’t expect those conversations to be easy and, don’t get me wrong, he’s not accepting and he’s not happy but he does the right thing for the team.
“That’s at the forefront of his mind constantly and that’s proper leadership.”
Aki suffered a shoulder injury in the first test and has been replaced by Garry Ringrose, who will start a test for the first time since the Rugby World Cup following shoulder injuries.
Beside O’Mahony in the reserves, hooker Rob Herring and backs Caolin Blade and Stuart McCloskey have been added.
Beirne hasn’t started on the flank since September but he’s a “world class player no matter what position he plays in,” Farrell said.
No. 8 Caelan Doris will captain the side for only the second time. He took over from O’Mahony at Loftus Versfeld for the last half-hour and had difficulties with referee Luke Pearce.
But Farrell had full faith in Doris’ communication style.
“He’s a calming influence, he’s bright,” Farrell said. “The questions that he’s going to the referees with are the right ones. His manner is very good as well.
“I’m sure as Caelan goes through his leadership roles, hopefully there will be many more as far as captaincy is concerned, albeit he is still in that infancy as far as trying to get some more experience, hence why he’s got this opportunity.”
South Africa named an unchanged lineup on Tuesday, its most experienced team ever.
Six Nations champion Ireland needs to beat the Springboks for only the second time in South Africa to square a series there for the first time.
___
Lineups:
South Africa: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handré Pollard. Faf de Klerk; Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Grant Williams, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Ireland: Jamie Osborne, Calvin Nash, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Caelan Doris (captain), Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter. Reserves: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, Peter O’Mahony, Caolin Blade, Ciaran Frawley, Stuart McCloskey.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby