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It is understood the expanded jersey sponsorship will be worth around €20m over the course of the deal which begins in 2024, a significant improvement on the previous contract signed in 2019.
By the end of the new contract, the communications giant will have been Ireland’s jersey sponsor for 12 years, having first come on board in 2016. From next year, their branding will also appear on the back of the senior women’s team’s jerseys and the Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell oversees training in Tours yesterday. Photo: Sportsfile
Meanwhile, Andy Farrell’s men are continuing their preparation for Saturday’s crunch World Cup clash against South Africa, who last night named seven forwards on their bench, including former Ireland international Jean Kleyn.
However, Ireland insist they will not be distracted by the Boks’ shenanigans. “We’ll select the side that’s the best side to represent the group and the country,” scrum coach John Fogarty said.
“We’re not overly thinking about what forwards are going to be on their bench or how they’re going to do their job. We understand the South African scrum, the power that’s in there, and we have our plan. We’ll look to impose our game for the 80 minutes, that’s how we’ll go about it and how we’re going through our week.
“We’re not discussing ‘What if he comes on’ or things like that, we’re not racing through our week. We’re making sure we fully understand the threats and the opportunities that exist and we’re prepared to take advantage.”
Jack Conan has stepped up his recovery from the foot injury that threatened his World Cup, but he is unlikely to feature this weekend, while Fogarty said Bealham has passed his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols and was back training yesterday, as was Dan Sheehan.
Indo World Cup Daily: Watch – Ireland prop Finlay Bealham cleared to play against Springboks
Meanwhile, Boks’ head coach Jacques Nienaber described the decision to go with a forward-loaded bench as “a calculated risk” and was full of praise for Ireland.
“They are the No 1 team in the world, they are a quality outfit,” he said.
“We don’t think there are a lot of weaknesses in their game and, as they’ve mentioned, this is probably one of the games you want to play in – the number one in the world playing the world champions.
“If you look at Ireland’s team and their consistency of performance, there has not been a lot of weakness over the past few months.
“We expect a proper Test match of the calibre of the No 1 and 2 teams playing against each other.”
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