Ireland boss Andy Farrell has challenged Jacob Stockdale to prove he still belongs at Test level during Saturday’s clash with Fiji.
Ulster wing Stockdale is poised to win just his fifth cap in four years after Farrell made seven personnel changes to the starting XV which scraped a 22-19 win over Argentina.
Only five men – Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan – have scored more tries for Ireland than Stockdale, who burst on to the scene during the 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam success.
Yet 14 of the 28-year-old’s 19 international scores came in the first 17 of his 37 caps and he has not represented his country since being overlooked for last year’s Rugby World Cup.
“He deserves it, his form has been great,” Farrell said of the opportunity for Stockdale, whose career has been impacted by knee and ankle issues.
“He’s been back in the fold with us, albeit not getting an opportunity, over the last 12 months and we’ve seen that improvement within his game.
“He’s chomping at the bit and this is his chance to show us what he’s about at this level again.”
Farrell has also handed debuts to Ulster back-rower Cormac Izuchukwu, 24, and Leinster hooker Gus McCarthy, 21, as part of an experimental line-up.
Our line up to face Fiji at Aviva Stadium! 👊#TeamOfUs
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Izuchukwu was a non-playing member of Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa while McCarthy last year captained Ireland Under-20s to Six Nations Grand Slam glory and the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship.
“(They’ve) loads and loads of potential, obviously,” Farrell said.
“I suppose Izzy has been in and around the squad now for a while. The first Emerging Ireland tour (in 2022) is when we first came across his ability, his athleticism, his point of difference and since then the improvement and maturity of his game (has improved significantly).
“The difference between the first tour and the second tour (last month) was chalk and cheese. He deserves a shot to show what he’s got.”
McCarthy only made his Leinster debut in April and was initially selected for Farrell’s squad as a ‘training panellist’.
But with Dan Sheehan sidelined and Ronan Kelleher and Rob Herring short of fitness, he is set for a landmark outing.
“Gus, what a rise in such a short space of time,” said Farrell.
“Obviously coming from the 20s and being successful there, he’s been a captain for a long time and you can see why because you can see his maturity in how he goes about the game.
“But rugby is a strange thing. You think there’s a pecking order and all of a sudden a couple of players get an injury then a kid gets an opportunity and he shows up really well when we take him on the training week with us as a development player.
“He’s forced our arm to keep him in the squad and he deserves a shot to see what he can do.”
Fly-half Sam Prendergast will make his maiden international start after winning his first cap as a second-half replacement against Los Pumas.
Full-back Jamie Osborne, centre Bundee Aki and scrum-half Craig Casey also come into the team.
Speaking of 21-year-old Prendergast, Farrell said: “I’m confident from what we’ve seen.
“We took him on the Emerging (tour) and he played in all of those games and the aim of that was for him to grab hold of that team and make sure he treated it like his own, as though he was in charge.
“He did that in spades and this week we’ve seen the benefit of that. We need to see it transfer obviously.”
