Ireland Players Face Tough Test Against Georgia

Craig Casey has challenged his side to lay down a marker as he prepares to captain Ireland for the first time in Saturday's Test against Georgia in Tbilisi. Munster scrum-half Casey will lead out an Irish squad showing six uncapped players in the matchday 23 at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.

With head coach Andy Farrell and some of his assistants away on the British and Irish Lions tour in Australia, Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell has taken temporary charge for the two Tests, which also sees a trip to face Portugal in Lisbon next week. Connacht’s Darragh Murray and Leinster wing Tommy O’Brien have been handed their first caps in the starting XV against Georgia, while forwards Michael Milne, Jack Aungier, Tom Ahern and scrum-half Ben Murphy are among the replacements hoping to make their debut.

With some 16 players on Lions duty – prop Finlay Bealham having been drafted in as a replacement for injured Scotsman Zander Fagerson – the July summer series fixtures were always going to be about having one eye on the future. Casey takes over the Irish captaincy from Caelan Doris, who was a contender to skipper the Lions until being ruled out of the tour by a shoulder injury.

Despite all of the changes and the sense of occasion for Ireland’s newcomers, Casey, 26, maintains the players must be fully focused on the job in hand. \"I don’t think we have changed anything for them (the debutants),\" Casey told a press conference. \"It is a special week for them and their families and it is unbelievable for them to make their first caps. It is a huge opportunity for all of us, but it is a massive privilege for us to put on the Irish jersey at any stage. It is huge week for them – and it is up to the rest of us to lay down a marker and make it a special one for them.\"

Ireland had been using a heat chamber to help prepare the squad for the expected humidity in Tbilisi, but heavy rain has followed their arrival in Georgia. Whatever the conditions come kick-off on Saturday, Casey insists Ireland must be set to stand up to a stern challenge. \"We are expecting them to be probably up the walls with physicality,\" Casey said. \"They have got some really big threats. Their number 15 (Davit) Niniashvili is a high-class player. He has shown it in the Top 14 and he has shown it in Europe. They have got a back row that are going to contest probably every breakdown. If we are on our breakdown, we will have a good day, but we will have to do a lot of work there. Georgia will bring their game and I imagine their fans are going to make it a special occasion for them, so they will be delighted to have Ireland over and try to knock us off.\"