Six Nations: Simon Easterby hands Dan Sheehan Ireland captaincy for Wales clash

Dan Sheehan will become Ireland’s 111th men’s Test captain when he leads a much-changed side into their Guinness Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff on Saturday Interim head coach Simon Easterby has made seven changes from the line-up which continued Ireland’s winning start to the 2025 championship with a second bonus-point victory of the campaign in Scotland 12 days ago.

Sheehan replaces regular captain Caelan Doris in the leadership role and Ronan Kelleher at hooker as he makes his first start since the opening Test in South Africa last summer.

The ACL injury he suffered in Pretoria had sidelined the 26-year-old until the end of January and Sheehan made one start for Leinster before making his international comeback off the bench against England, scoring a try in the process at Aviva Stadium.

Easterby had already had his hand forced by injuries to captain Doris (knee) and Kelleher (neck), both of whom had started the first two games of the championship.

Jack Conan is Doris’s stand-in at No.8 and is set to make his 49th appearance for Ireland when they run out at Principality Stadium on Saturday.

The other changes see Jamie Osborne come in at full-back for a Six Nations debut as first-choice 15 Hugo Keenan sits out, a fit-again Mack Hansen replacing Calvin Nash on the right wing and the centre rotation continues with Bundee Aki moving to the bench, Garry Ringrose coming the other way into outside centre and Robbie Henshaw switching from 13 to inside centre.

The half-backs are unchanged with Sam Prendergast continuing at fly-half and Jamison Gibson-Park inside at number nine but there is a forward pack reshuffle with Thomas Clarkson earning his first start at tighthead prop and Joe McCarthy returning to the second row after passing fit following a head injury in addition to the enforced changes at hooker and No.8.

Finlay Bealham, who started the first two rounds at tighthead in the continuing absence of Tadhg Furlong, moves to the bench, as does Aki as outside back replacement.

Leinster loosehead prop Jack Boyle is in line for his Ireland debut off the bench while there are also potential Six Nations debuts for replacement hooker Gus McCarthy and back-rower Cian Prendergast.

Easterby’s changes come in advance of a meeting with a Wales side at rock bottom following 14 consecutive Test defeats and the departure of head coach Warren Gatland following their most recent loss, to Italy in Rome last time out but with incoming interim head coach Matt Sherratt expected to enjoy an uptick in morale.

The Ireland boss said: “Playing Wales in Cardiff is one of the great tests and we know the challenge that awaits us. With a new coaching set-up in place, Wales will be re-energised and determined to impress in front of a vocal home support.

“There will also be a huge Irish travelling support which, when added to the closed roof and the great respect and rivalry between the two nations, will add to an electric atmosphere.” 

IRELAND: J Osborne (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), G Ringrose (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster); S Prendergast (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Clarkson (Leinster); J McCarthy (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster); P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: G McCarthy (Leinster), J Boyle (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), B Aki (Connacht).