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Farrell gives Byrne and Casey first Six Nations starts for Italy clash / Photo: © POOL/AFP
Farrell gives Byrne and Casey first Six Nations starts for Italy clash
Ross Byrne and Craig Casey form a new halfback partnership as both make their first Six Nations starts against Italy on Saturday with Ireland bidding to make it three wins from three matches.
Byrne comes in for Ireland's injured talismanic fly-half Johnny Sexton. Casey gets the nod from head coach Andy Farrell after Munster team-mate Conor Murray started the wins over Wales and 2022 champions France.
For 27-year-old Byrne, it will be his 17th cap and for Casey, 23, his 10th.
Byrne impressed Farrell with his performances in the win over Australia last November and came on for Sexton with over half-an-hour of the France match remaining and closed it out.
In the absence of Sexton, James Ryan skippers a side -- unveiled on Thursday -- which shows six changes from the 32-19 win over the French.
Bundee Aki comes in at centre to partner Garry Ringrose, who wins his 50th cap. Jack Conan is chosen at No8, replacing Peter O'Mahony.
Iain Henderson lines-up alongside Ryan in the second row -- Tadhg Beirne has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament -- and Ronan Kelleher starts at hooker.
Kelleher -- first choice last year -- returned to the matchday squad for the France game and gets his chance because Rob Herring took a hit to the head against France.
Dan Sheehan, who was the starting hooker against Wales in the opener, comes back into the squad on the replacements bench after missing the France game with a hamstring injury.
The bench offers experience, with Test centurion Murray and 91-times capped O'Mahony.
There is no place for Joey Carbery, often seen as the long-term successor to Sexton.
Although the 27-year-old was called up on Monday, his younger Munster team-mate Jack Crowley is on the bench.
The Irish will be hot favourites having lost just once to Italy in the Six Nations -- in Rome in 2013 -- although their opponents having shown a vast improvement over the past 12 months.
Team (15-1)
Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Craig Casey; Jack Conan; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier; James Ryan (capt), Iain Henderson; Finlay Bealham, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Tom O'Toole, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Stuart McCloskey
Coach: Andy Farrell (ENG)
E. Carvalho--JDB
