Two-time reigning Six Nations champions Ireland are playing in their first Test series against South Africa since 2016; watch the opening match in Pretoria live on Saturday from 3.30pm on Sky Sports Action (4pm kick off)
Friday 5 July 2024 14:14, UK
Leinster's Jamie Osborne will make his international debut for Ireland in their first Test against South Africa on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Osborne is joined in the Ireland back three by Calvin Nash and James Lowe, while Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw will start in the midfield.
Osborne may have started at full-back only twice for his province, but Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony has every confidence the 22-year-old can rise to the challenge against the world champions at Loftus Versfeld.
"He has been very patient," O'Mahony said. "The kid is pretty understanding and obviously has delivered incredibly well for Leinster over the last however many seasons.
"One of the lads presented him with his jersey and he said it was not as if it was when the cap was going to come for him. He is one of these guys who is just really cool, calm, who wants to learn.
"He is a top-class professional at an early age, so you [media] said people were shocked, but I don't think anyone in our squad was shocked about it.
"Jamie has been in [the squad] a few times now and spent a lot of time with us. It just makes you more familiar with guys, more comfortable. You play for someone more when you know them better and he has been around long enough now to know us well enough for it to really matter to him."
Elsewhere in the team, there is an all-Munster half-back pairing as Craig Casey and Jack Crowley are named at scrum-half and out-half respectively.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong start in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Tadhg Beirne in the engine room. O'Mahony captains the side at blindslide flanker, with Josh van der Flier at openside and Caelan Doris at No 8.
Head coach Andy Farrell has also included strong options on the bench, with Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan and Ryan Baird providing the forward reinforcements and Conor Murray, Ciaran Frawley and Garry Ringrose completing the squad.
Ireland and South Africa most recently met in the group stages of last year's World Cup, with Ireland winning the brutally physical meeting in Paris but South Africa going on to have the last laugh as they clinched back-to-back World Cups.
Ireland: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 6 Peter O'Mahony (c), 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 James Ryan, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23. Garry Ringrose.
Rassie Erasmus has named 12 starters from the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in South Africa's team to play Ireland in the first Test on Saturday.
Only full-back Willie le Roux, No 8 Kwagga Smith and prop Ox Nche did not start the 12-11 victory over New Zealand in Paris in October last year, though they all did come on as replacements.
Handre Pollard is back at fly-half after missing the Springboks' 41-13 victory over Wales in London last month, along with a host of other first-choice players who sat out that fixture as it fell outside of the international window.
Only three of the Springboks match-day squad against Ireland were not involved in their World Cup triumph in France, in prop Gerhard Steenekamp, lock Salmaan Moerat and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
"This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second-highest ranked team in the world," Erasmus said.
"We are blessed to have a lot of depth in our squad, and we are in a fortunate position to have several Rugby World Cup winners in our ranks who know what it takes to perform at the highest level.
"The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven't beaten them since 2016."
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk; 1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Kwagga Smith.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Watch Ireland against South Africa live on Saturday from 3.30pm on Sky Sports Action (4m kick-off). Stream rugby's summer internationals in 2024 and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
