Thursday Morning: Irish Team Named To Play New Zealand On Saturday

Eadestown's Tadhg Beirne starts in the second row

RUGBY

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named his starting 15 for Saturday's first test against New Zealand in Auckland.

In all, there are five changes from the side which started the final Six Nations game against Scotland.

Hugo Keenan is named at full back, with Keith Earls and James Lowe on the wings.

Centre partnership of Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw, with Johnny Sexton captaining at out half & Jamison Gibson Park at scrum half.

Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong make up the front row.

It's Eadestown Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan in the second row, back row Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris.

Cian Healy has made a quick recovery after coming off in the defeat to the Maori All Blacks and is named on the bench.

The match kicks off in Eden Park on Saturday, at 8.05am Irish time.

🚨 ICYMI | While you were asleep back home, Head Coach Andy Farrell has named the Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday's first Test against the @AllBlacks ⬇️#TeamOfUs | #NZvIRE

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 30, 2022

For the All Blacks, Leicester Fainga' anuku will make his debut on the left wing.

Sam Cane will captain the side, which includes three brothers, Beauden Barrett at out-half, Scott Barrett at blindside flanker and Jordie Barrett at full back.

New Zealand have not lost at Eden Park since 1994, so Farrell knows Ireland will have to show up:

GOLF

The Irish Open is underway at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny.

Shane Lowry and Seamus Power are teed off this morning.

Last week's US Senior Open champion Padraig Harrington goes out at 1pm.

Australian Lucas Herbert is the defending champion.

GAELIC GAMES

The Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Championship begins tonight with a local derby.

Castlemitchell play Rheban in Ballykelly at 8.30pm.

TENNIS

Andy Murray remains convinced he can continue to challenge deep into Grand Slams, after suffering his earliest Wimbledon exit.

The two-time champion was beaten in the second round by big serving American John Isner, who produced one of his best ever performances.

Murray says after years of injury problems, it wasn't his body which let him down this time:

Today, men's second seed Rafael Nadal is in second round action at Wimbledon, taking on Ricardas Ber-an-kis of Lithuania.

While fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas goes up against the Aussie, Jordan Thompson.

Women's top seed Iga Swiatek resumes her campaign against Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove.

Coco Gauff plays world number-127, Mihaela Buzarnescu.

RACING

It's Ladies Day at Tipperary, with a seven-race programme getting underway at 5pm.

And there is an eight-race card at Bellewstown that gets underway at 4.35pm.