Ireland have named Nick Timoney at number eight and Mack Hansen at full-back in a much-changed side for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash with Fiji in Dublin.
With Sean Jansen joining Caelan Doris and Jack Conan on the injury list following last week’s 42-12 bonus-point win over Argentina, Timoney switches from openside flanker to fill the vacancy in the middle of the back row.
Hansen will start at full-back for only the third time at international level. The 28-year-old scored a hat-trick from the position against his native Australia last autumn and takes over the number 15 jersey from Hugo Keenan, who scored three tries against the Pumas.
Lock Tadhg Beirne will captain Ireland on home soil for the first time in the absence of Doris and Dan Sheehan.
Uncapped Ulster back-rower James McNabney, 23, is in line to make his Test debut from the bench.
Head coach Andy Farrell has made seven personnel changes to his starting XV, with forwards Ronan Kelleher, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier recalled, in addition to backs Jamison Gibson-Park, Tommy O’Brien, Bundee Aki and Jamie Osborne.
Kelleher comes in at hooker after stand-in captain Sheehan sustained a concussion against Argentina to join props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong in the front row.
Ryan is restored to the second row to partner Beirne, while Van der Flier returns at openside flanker, with Ryan Baird continuing at blindside.
Scrum-half Gibson-Park regains his starting spot from Craig Casey and will partner Leinster team-mate Sam Prendergast.
Aki has recovered from the illness which caused him to withdraw from the matchday squad against Argentina to form a new midfield partnership with Osborne.
O’Brien takes Hansen’s place on the left wing, while Robert Baloucoune has overcome cramp to retain his place on the right.
Centre Stuart McCloskey and scrum-half Casey drop to the bench. Joe McCarthy, Robbie Henshaw and Keenan are left out of the matchday squad.
After taking on Fiji, Ireland host world champions South Africa on November 21 ahead of finals weekend of the Nations Championship.
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 12, 2026
Ireland team to play Fiji in Nations Championship
Forwards: 1 Andrew Porter (Leinster), 2 Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), 4 James Ryan (Leinster), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Captain, Munster), 6 Ryan Baird (Leinster), 7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster), 8 Nick Timoney (Ulster)
Backs: 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), 10 Sam Prendergast (Leinster), 11 Tommy O'Brien (Leinster), 12 Bundee Aki (Connacht), 13 Jamie Osborne (Leinster), 14 Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), 15 Mack Hansen (Connacht)
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart (Ulster), 17 Tom O'Toole (Ulster), 18 Sam Illo (Connacht), 19 Darragh Murray (Connacht), 20 James McNabney (Ulster), 21 Craig Casey (Munster), 22 Ciaran Frawley (Connacht), 23 Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)