Ireland make a significantly changed lineup for their second Rugby World Cup Nations Championship match against Japan in Newcastle on Saturday. Tadhg Beirne is named captain for the first time at this level, in a team led by Andy Farrell, Ireland’s head coach. Multiple outlets report that Farrell rotates the squad and hands opportunities to four debutants in the fixture. BBC Sport and Yahoo Sports both highlight Beirne’s expectations of a high-tempo, challenging game against Japan, describing the moment as special as he captains the side for the first time. RTE News also confirms the captaincy and the four-debutant approach, framing it as part of a broader rotation policy for the tournament. While the specific debutant names and the full matchday squad are not included in the provided summaries, all sources agree on the key points: Beirne’s first-time captaincy, a much-changed Ireland team, and the presence of four debutants for the contest against Japan.