Craig Casey and Sam Prendergast will start together for Ireland against Argentina on Friday, with Sean Jansen selected for his first Test start at number eight. Andy Farrell named the match-day squad on Wednesday, 4 November, ahead of the Nations Championship game at Aviva Stadium on 6 November, kicking off at 8.10pm Irish time.

Dan Sheehan captains the side, Mack Hansen returns for what the IRFU says will be his first Ireland appearance in a year, and Sam Illo is among the replacements for a potential home debut. Jamison Gibson-Park, Josh van der Flier, James Ryan and Bundee Aki are also on the bench.

The IRFU's team announcement confirms the starting side and eight replacements. It changes the focus from the earlier uncertainty over Prendergast's availability to the combination Farrell has chosen for Ireland's first home fixture of the November programme.

Supporters planning to attend also have a separate development to consider. The union issued a ticket-fraud warning on Wednesday, saying it had received increasing reports concerning unauthorised digital ticket sales. Its advice is to use official ticket channels and to act before travelling if a ticket's authenticity is in doubt.

Casey and Prendergast get the starting half-back roles

Casey starts at scrum-half, with Prendergast at out-half. Gibson-Park is named as a replacement, alongside Ciaran Frawley as another option in the backs. That gives Ireland a different starting arrangement from a side built around Gibson-Park directing play from the opening minute.

The selection is a significant opportunity for Casey. He is listed with 30 Ireland caps in the IRFU announcement, so this is an experienced international receiving a starting assignment rather than a player making his debut. Prendergast is listed with 17 caps.

The fitness background is also relevant. In its 1 November squad update, the IRFU said Prendergast was continuing to improve and management were optimistic about his availability. Wednesday's named selection is the subsequent development. RTÉ's report on the team says he has overcome a wrist injury to start.

Farrell has selected him in the starting side, with Frawley available from the bench.

From a match perspective, the starting and replacement combinations give Ireland options as the game develops. Whether changes are needed, and when, will depend on Friday's match. The team sheet does not establish a pre-arranged substitution plan or predict how either pairing will perform.

Jansen's first start is different from a first cap

Jansen starts at number eight after making his Test debut during the summer. The IRFU lists him with two caps before this fixture. Friday is therefore his first selection to start a Test, rather than his first appearance for Ireland.

Ryan Baird is named at blindside flanker and Nick Timoney at openside, completing the back row. Van der Flier is among the forward replacements. These are the positions confirmed in the union's announcement; the distinctions matter when assessing how the selected forwards fit together.

Illo's potential milestone is different again. He is listed with one cap and is in line for his first home appearance if used from the bench. Being named as a replacement does not guarantee that he will enter the game, so his home debut should remain a possibility until it happens.

The two selections show how different stages of international development can sit within the same match-day squad. Jansen has a first starting opportunity, while Illo may have a first chance to play a Test at home. Neither should be described as an uncapped newcomer.

Sheehan leads a pack with experienced replacement options

Sheehan starts at hooker between Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong. Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne are selected in the second row, ahead of the Baird, Timoney and Jansen back-row combination.

The forward replacements are Rónan Kelleher, Tom O'Toole, Illo, Ryan and Van der Flier. Alongside the three backline replacements, that makes a five-forward, three-back bench. It is a count of the named positions, not a claim about how Farrell intends to use them.

The announced cap totals illustrate the experience available outside the starting side. Ryan is listed with 83 caps, Van der Flier with 81 and Kelleher with 51. Their presence gives Ireland established international options, although experience alone does not determine a result.

The selection is also worth reading as a complete 23. A player named on the bench remains part of the match-day plan. Treating the starting fifteen as the entire team would miss the choices available during the contest and the potential significance of the replacements.

Hansen returns alongside Keenan and Baloucoune

Hugo Keenan starts at full-back, with Robert Baloucoune and Hansen on the wings. Robbie Henshaw and Stuart McCloskey form the centre partnership. Aki is the replacement midfield option.

The IRFU identifies Hansen's return as his first Ireland appearance in a year. That gives the back-three selection a clear news element, alongside the half-back decisions and Jansen's first start. It should not be extended into an assumption about form or match readiness beyond what the selection establishes.

The Irish Examiner's contemporary team report also records Casey and Prendergast together, the Henshaw–McCloskey midfield and the selected back three. The central selection details are therefore available in both the original union record and newsroom reporting.

Ireland's named match-day squad

The following list follows the IRFU's announced positions and provincial affiliations. Numbers in brackets are the published Ireland caps before Friday's game.

Full-back: Hugo Keenan, Leinster (48).

Wings: Robert Baloucoune, Ulster (9), and Mack Hansen, Connacht (30).

Centres: Robbie Henshaw, Leinster (85), and Stuart McCloskey, Ulster (31).

Out-half: Sam Prendergast, Leinster (17).

Scrum-half: Craig Casey, Munster (30).

Loosehead prop: Andrew Porter, Leinster (79).

Hooker and captain: Dan Sheehan, Leinster (41).

Tighthead prop: Tadhg Furlong, Leinster (88).

Second row: Joe McCarthy, Leinster (26), and Tadhg Beirne, Munster (73).

Blindside flanker: Ryan Baird, Leinster (33).

Openside flanker: Nick Timoney, Ulster (14).

Number eight: Sean Jansen, Connacht (2).

The replacements are:

Rónan Kelleher, Leinster (51).

Tom O'Toole, Ulster (24).

Sam Illo, Connacht (1).

James Ryan, Leinster (83).

Josh van der Flier, Leinster (81).

Jamison Gibson-Park, Leinster (53).

Ciaran Frawley, Connacht (15).

Bundee Aki, Connacht (72).

All four provinces are represented. Counting the affiliations in the published squad gives 12 Leinster players, five from Connacht, four from Ulster and two from Munster. Those figures describe this match-day selection, rather than participation targets or a ranking of provincial strength.

The union's team record also identifies club connections, including Casey with Shannon, Baloucoune with Enniskillen, McCloskey with Bangor and Henshaw with Buccaneers. Illo is also listed with Buccaneers. Those affiliations connect the international selection with clubs beyond the four professional provincial teams.

Friday's match begins Ireland's home November programme

Ireland play Argentina at Aviva Stadium on Friday, 6 November, at 8.10pm Irish time. The team announcement says the game will be shown live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with radio commentary on RTÉ.

This is the start of Ireland's home November programme, not the start of the entire Nations Championship season. The IRFU's original competition schedule identifies the southern series in July and the northern series in November.

The remaining scheduled home opponents are Fiji on 14 November and South Africa on 21 November. The competition then moves to its finals weekend in London, where Ireland's opposition depends on the combined series standings. Friday's fixture therefore belongs to a wider competition, rather than being an isolated autumn friendly.

The fixture has not been played and the selection announcement contains no result. Further team changes remain possible before kick-off. Supporters should use the current official match information when checking final arrangements, rather than assuming a Wednesday selection can never change.

The IRFU's new ticket warning for supporters

In its 4 November warning about digital ticket sales, the IRFU says it has received a growing number of enquiries from people who bought through unauthorised websites and advertisements, particularly on social media.

The union identifies Ticketmaster and its Irish Rugby Account Manager platform as the authorised sources for Irish Rugby international tickets. It warns that tickets obtained through unauthorised sellers will not provide entry and advises people who doubt their tickets are genuine against travelling to Aviva Stadium expecting admission.

The warning does not mean supporters who bought through official channels need to replace their tickets. The IRFU specifically says those purchasers should be reassured and need not take action. Nor does the statement provide a verified total number of victims or an amount lost, so neither can be inferred from its description of increasing reports.

For anyone who believes they bought a fraudulent ticket, the union advises contacting their bank or card provider promptly to discuss the transaction and reporting the matter to An Garda Síochána. That is the IRFU's general advice; it does not guarantee that a payment can be recovered.

The practical distinction ahead of Friday is straightforward: a confirmation email or social-media advertisement is not, by itself, proof that an international ticket is valid. Supporters can follow the authorised links in the union's warning and resolve doubts before committing to a journey.