Ireland rugby team coach Andy Farrell has opted to start three returnees, wingers Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen and center Bundee Akiin the test match against New Zealand in Dublin on Friday (9.10pm). All three were key players at last year’s World Cup, where the Shamrock XV beat eventual winners South Africa in the group stage, before losing to New Zealand in the quarters (28-24)..

Keenan’s reunion with the All Blacks sees him return to rugby 7s after a hiatus to take part in the Paris Olympics. Hansen missed the Six Nations Tournament, won by the Irish for the second year running, through injury.

His Connacht team-mate Aki missed the second Test against South Africa last July with a shoulder problem. Ireland beat the Springboks 25-24 in that match after losing the first test 27-20. Jack Crowley will start at fly-half, having been in the balance with Ciaran Frawley, scorer of the last-second drop-goal against South Africa in the second Test.

Third-rower Caelan Doris, 26, will captain the side in place of regular Peter O’Mahony (107 caps), who is doubtful due to a hamstring injury and has been benched. In addition to New Zealand, Ireland welcome Argentina, Fiji and Australia to Dublin in November.

Ireland squad:

Hugo Keenan – Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe – Jack Crowley (o), Jamison Gibson-Park (m) – Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (cap), Tadhg Beirne – James Ryan, Joe McCarthy – Finlay Bealham, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter
Substitutes : Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Ciaran Frawley, Jamie Osborne