{"id":23793,"date":"2021-11-04T09:55:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23793"},"modified":"2021-11-05T09:56:49","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T13:56:49","slug":"sexton-to-earn-100th-cap-against-japan-on-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23793","title":{"rendered":"Sexton To Earn 100th Cap Against Japan On Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Captain Johnny Sexton will win his 100th Ireland cap during Saturday\u2019s clash with Japan in Dublin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 36-year-old fly-half returns to Andy Farrell\u2019s starting XV for the first time since March\u2019s 32-18 Guinness Six Nations win over England having been rested for summer Tests against the Brave Blossoms and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will become the seventh Irishman to reach the milestone following Brian O\u2019Driscoll, Ronan O\u2019Gara, Rory Best, Cian Healy, Paul O\u2019Connell and John Hayes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexton, who made his international debut against Fiji in 2009 at the age of 24, will be partnered in the half-back positions by Leinster team-mate Jamison Gibson-Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular scrum-half Conor Murray has to settle for a place on the bench having played just 22 minutes for Munster since returning from British and Irish Lions duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Farrell has named a strong line-up for the first of three autumn fixtures at the Aviva Stadium, with Lions quartet Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan and Bundee Aki among those to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prop Furlong wins his 50th Ireland cap at tighthead, joining hooker Ronan Kelleher and Andrew Porter in the front row, ahead of Beirne and vice-captain James Ryan in the lock positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster second-row Beirne is the only non-Leinster player among the forward pack, with Conan selected between Caelan Doris and Josh Van Der Flier in the back row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the backs, there are recalls for wingers James Lowe and Andrew Conway, Hugo Keenan starts at full-back for the 14th consecutive international, while Aki partners Garry Ringrose in midfield in the absence of the injured Robbie Henshaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncapped hooker Dan Sheehan has been named on the bench, alongside Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Peter O\u2019Mahony, Murray, Joey Carbery and Keith Earls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland defeated Japan 39-31 in Dublin in early July following a shock pool-stage loss to their opponents at the 2019 World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farrell\u2019s men also host New Zealand and Argentina this month.<\/p>\n

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