Johnny Sexton returns to captain Ireland in Rugby World Cup opener against Romania as Andy Farrell names team
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Updated 07/09/2023 at 14:50 GMT
Ireland have named their team to face Romania in their first 2023 Rugby World Cup game on Saturday. Andy Farrell's side are one of the favourites to lift the trophy, and will be captained by 38-year-old Johnny Sexton, who hasn't played a competitive match since March. Second row Joe McCarthy, 22, will make just his second Test start and Jamison Gibson-Park partners Sexton at half-back.
Ireland's Johnny Sexton
Image credit: Getty Images
Johnny Sexton will captain Ireland in their 2023 Rugby World Cup opener against Romania on Saturday.
The 38-year-old fly-half hasn’t played a competitive match since March due to injury and then a three-game ban that saw him miss Ireland’s World Cup warm-up games last month.
The ban was imposed after Sexton admitted misconduct towards match officials following Leinster's Heineken Champions Cup final defeat to La Rochelle in May.
Sexton, who is set to retire after the World Cup, did not play in the match.
Ireland head into the World Cup as one of the favourites to win the trophy. They are on a 13-match winning run but have failed to go beyond the quarter-final stage in nine previous World Cup appearances.
"We've built for this moment for the last four years,” said Sexton.
“We get tarnished by our record but we have a lot of good memories at World Cups and we are very much looking forward to it.
"We haven't looked past this game. We will worry about quarter-finals if we get there."
Second row Joe McCarthy, 22, will make just his second Test start against Romania, alongside the experienced James Ryan.
Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls and James Lowe are in the back three, with Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki paired in the midfield.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park partners Sexton at half-back.
After facing Romania, Ireland meet Tonga, then world champions South Africa before finishing the pool stage against Scotland.
The tournament starts with hosts France v New Zealand on Friday evening.
Ireland team to face Romania: Keenan; Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (capt), Gibson-Park; Porter, Herring, Furlong; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, O'Mahony, Doris.
Replacements: Kelleher, Loughman, O'Toole, Henderson, Van der Flier, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw.
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