Andy Farrell looks set to hand Sam Prendergast the Ireland No.10 shirt for the second consecutive match.
The Leinster starlet’s meteoric rise has been the story of this November window and Farrell’s decision to pick him ahead of Jack Crowley and Ciarán Frawley is a major statement in his final game as Ireland coach before he joins the Lions on sabbatical after Saturday’s game.
Prendergast made his debut against Argentina and was picked to start the win over Fiji, overcoming an early yellow card to deliver an assured performance across 80 minutes.
Crowley started the defeat to New Zealand and the win over Argentina and, having been put up for media duty on Tuesday, it had been expected that he’d come back into the starting XV for the final game of 2024.
However, it now looks like he’s fighting for a place on the bench with Ciarán Frawley, who came on at full-back against Fiji and went well.
Hugo Keenan and James Lowe are expected come into the back three in place of the injured Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale, while there is a battle for midfield spots between Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw.
Farrell has picked three different combinations thus far but may choose to combine the robust pairing of Aki and Henshaw while keeping Ringrose in reserve.
Prendergast will likely be partnered by the returning Jamison Gibson-Park, while it is expected that Ronan Kelleher will return at hooker with Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham at prop.
James Ryan is likely to partner Joe McCarthy in the second-row, with Tadhg Beirne rejoining the back-row along with Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris.
Cian Healy is expected to break Brian O’Driscoll’s all-time caps record by making his 134th appearance off the bench, while Farrell must choose between Rob Herring and Gus McCarthy at back up hooker and Tom O’Toole and Thomas Clarkson as reserve tighthead.
Iain Henderson and Peter O’Mahony are likely to provide forward cover, although Cormac Izuchukwu is in contention, while Conor Murray and Craig Casey are battling out to cover scrum-half.