Caelan Doris will captain Ireland from the back row, following his previous leadership roles in the Guinness Six Nations victory over Italy in February and the second-Test win against South Africa in July.
The back three will feature Hugo Keenan, returning to the 15-a-side game after representing Ireland Sevens at the Paris Olympics in the summer.
Mack Hansen and James Lowe are named on the wings, with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose forming the midfield partnership. Jamison Gibson-Park returns as scrum-half, paired with Jack Crowley at fly-half.
The forward pack features a front row of Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher (replacing the injured Dan Sheehan) and Finlay Bealham. Joe McCarthy and James Ryan hold the second-row positions. Tadhg Beirne takes the blindside flanker role, Josh van der Flier is on the openside, and Doris rounds out the starting XV at number eight.
Farrell's bench offers plenty of experience, with Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, and Peter O’Mahony available as forward cover, while Conor Murray, Ciaran Frawley, and Jamie Osborne provide cover for the backline.
Speaking about Ireland’s preparations, Farrell said: “I’m really pleased with the squad’s effort during the training camp in Portugal. Since reuniting at the IRFU High-Performance Centre, the players have shown great commitment, and it’s fantastic to welcome several players back from injury—credit to both their hard work and our medical team’s support.
“It’s an incredibly exciting four weeks ahead at Aviva Stadium. We know that to beat a world-class team like New Zealand, we’ll need to bring our best. The prospect of facing them on a Friday night under the lights, with a packed home crowd, makes for an unmatched challenge.”
Ireland (v New Zealand):
Player/Club/Province/Caps
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(39) 14. Mack Hansen (Corinthians/Connacht)(21) 13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(60) 12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(57) 11. James Lowe (Leinster)(33) 10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(16) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(35)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(66) 2. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(33) 3. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(42) 4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(12) 5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(64) 6. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(52) 7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(64) 8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(43)(captain)
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(40) 17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(131) 18. Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(13) 19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(81) 20. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(107) 21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(118) 22. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(6) 23. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(2).
