Beirne leads Ireland bid to build on strong start

Tadhg Beirne will captain Ireland at home for the first time when they face Fiji in Dublin on Saturday, seeking a second win in two matches as stand-in skipper. After last week’s 42-12 victory over Argentina, Ireland want a stronger, more consistent performance before next week’s meeting with world champions South Africa.

Beirne earns his 75th cap and is deputising for injured captain Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan. He has missed only three Ireland Tests since the 2023 Six Nations, won the United Rugby Championship with Munster and Scarlets, and was named player of the series after the British and Irish Lions’ 2025 win over Australia. Ireland make seven personnel changes and two positional switches from the Argentina match.