Ireland's head coach, Andy Farrell, has stated that the reason for selecting a strong lineup against Tonga is rooted in respect for their opposition.
While there were prior indications that Ireland might field a different squad than the one that defeated Romania 82-8 in the opening week, this turned out not to be the case.
On Thursday, Farrell revealed a formidable team with four changes compared to the lineup that played in Bordeaux.
Mack Hansen and Conor Murray have taken the places of Keith Earls and Jamison Gibson-Park on the wing and at scrum-half, respectively.
Ronan Kelleher and Josh van der Flier have also been named to replace Rob Herring and Joe McCarthy for the upcoming match in Nantes on Saturday.
🗣️ "Every game is of the same importance for us."#TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/2lfZ9NMHCE
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 14, 2023
Despite Ireland's status as the number one ranked team in the world, the expectation is that they should win. However, Farrell acknowledges the importance of every game and the need to show respect to teams of lesser ability.
"(It's) a bit of continuity from last week. It's a different game, a different challenge with Tonga, isn't it? Respecting the opposition is absolutely at the forefront of our minds. Respecting the competition, but more importantly, respecting ourselves," said Farrell on Thursday.
"Every game holds the same importance for us. We already have a strong squad within the group of 33, as I explained last week. Here we go again.
"It's a bit different when you've played one game, and your recovery is different as you head into the next week. How we've managed that has been crucial as well."
When asked if he considered resting key players like Sexton for the upcoming match against South Africa, the Ireland boss added, "There's always temptation because, when it comes to selection, we consider every possible permutation.
"But ultimately, it's about what's best for the team. The team that played last week hadn't played together before. Now we're moving on to this one. In some circumstances, you're in a difficult situation no matter what you decide."
Ireland's match against Tonga will kick off at 8:00 pm (9:00 pm local time) on Saturday night. You can watch the game live on ITV (UK) and RTÉ (ROI).
Ireland team
Fullback 15. Hugo Keenan
Winger 14. Mack Hansen
Centres 13. Gary Ringrose 12.Bundee Aki
Winger 11. James Lowe
Out half 10. Johnny Sexton Scrum half 9. Conor Murray
Front row 1. Andrew Porter 2. Ronan Kelleher 3. Tadhg Furlong
Second row 4. Tadhg Beirne 5. James Ryan
Back row 6. Peter O’Mahony 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Caelan Doris
Replacements: 16. Rob Herring 17. David Kilcoyne 18. Finlay Bealham 19. Iain Henderson 20. Ryan Baird 21. Craig Casey 22. Ross Byrne 23. Robbie Henshaw
