Beirne to captain Ireland at home for first time as Farrell rings changes against Fiji

Tadhg Beirne will captain Ireland at the Aviva Stadium for the first time when Andy Farrell’s side host Fiji in the Nations Championship on Saturday, with the 34-year-old Munster lock set to earn his 75th cap in what he describes as a deeply personal occasion.

Beirne steps up after stand-in skipper Dan Sheehan was ruled out through concussion protocols following last week’s 42-12 bonus-point victory over Argentina. Regular captain Caelan Doris remains sidelined through injury. Beirne previously led Ireland to victory over Japan in Australia during the summer, but Saturday marks his first time wearing the armband on home soil.

“It’s particularly special doing it at the Aviva, at home,” Beirne said at a press conference on Friday. “My wife and daughter will be there, mum and dad will definitely be there, my sister — everyone who’s in the country will be there, which is class. That’s the nice part, leading up to the game, but I have a job to do and the folks will go through that, for sure.”

Despite Ireland’s dominant recent record — Fiji have never beaten Ireland and were beaten 52-17 on their last visit to Dublin in 2024 — Beirne was clear that complacency is not an option. “We laid down a foundation of how we want to play, but we’re certainly not satisfied with that,” he said.

Farrell has made seven personnel changes and two positional switches from the side that beat Argentina, recalling Ronan Kelleher, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier to the forward pack, while Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, Jamie Osborne and Tommy O’Brien come into the backline.

The Ireland head coach acknowledged the broader context of the Nations Championship campaign — which includes a home fixture against world champions South Africa before finals weekend at Twickenham — but insisted the sole focus this week is on Fiji. “There’s always one eye on what’s coming. That’s my job, to have that in mind. But 100 per cent, the whole focus has just been about Fiji,” Farrell said. “We know if you’re not at your best with a team like the quality of Fiji, they can beat you if you’re slightly off.”

Ireland have won three of their four matches in the Nations Championship heading into Saturday’s fixture.