Ala'alatoa, Sopoaga in Samoa squad to face Ireland

Ireland will face a host of familiar faces when they take on Samoa with Leinster's Michael Ala'alatoa, former Ulster player Christian Leali'ifano and ex-All Blacks out-half Lima Sopoaga all included in the squad.

Prop Ala'alatoa will start on the bench, while Sopoaga, capped 16 times by New Zealand before using World Rugby's change in eligibility laws to switch countries, will make his full Samoa debut.

The teams meet in Stade Jean Dauger in Bayonne tomorrow evening (7.45pm) in a final World Cup warm-up match ahead of the tournament, which begins in two weeks' time.

La Rochelle centre UJ Seuteni, who scored a try against Leinster in the Champions Cup final in May, is also named in a side that contains nine changes to the team that beat the Barbarians in Brive last weekend.

Former Ulster and Australia out-half Leali'ifano, who won 26 Wallabies caps and played for Ulster in the 2016/17 season, is on the bench.

The team, under head coach Seilala Mapusua, will be co-captained, alongside Ala'alatoa, by lock Chris Vui.

Australia-born Ala'alatoa joined Leinster in 2021 and has played 47 times for the province. He was sent off late in the Champions Cup final for a dangerous ruck clear out.

Asked about his impressions of the 31-one-year-old, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said: "He's been fantastic, he's a great player. Captaining the side, Samoa, says everything about him, the type of professional that he is and the respect that he's got among his peers.

"That's what I hear from the Leinster boys. He's a great player with a lot of experience."

England's Wayne Barnes will take charge of the match.

Samoa: Duncan Paia'aua; Ed Fidow, UJ Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Nigel Ah Wong; Lima Sopoaga, Jonathan Taumateine; James Lay, Seilala Lam, Paul