Andy Farrell names his Irish team for Wales | Six Nations Opening Weekend | WLRFM.com

Andy Farrell has named the match day 23 to kick start Ireland’s 2022 Guinness Six Nations Championship campaign against Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Johnny Sexton captain’s the team on his 102nd cap for Ireland and his 53rd appearance in the Six Nations Championship.

Sexton is joined at half-back by Jamison Gibson Park while Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose link up in the centre for a fifteenth time for Ireland.

The uncapped Connacht wing Mack Hansen lines out on the left wing with Andrew Conway on the right with Hugo Keenan at fullback starting his seventeenth consecutive Test match.

In the pack the front row features Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong with Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan locking down the second row.

Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan are named in the backrow.

The replacements are Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and James Hume.

IRELAND team v Wales, Round 1 Guinness Six Nations 2022

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps

14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 27 caps

13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps

12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 33 caps

11. Mack Hansen (Connacht) uncapped

10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 101 caps CAPTAIN

9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 12 caps

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps