DECLAN Kidney made some bold moves at the Strand Hotel in Limerick this Tuesday on announcing his starting 15 and replacements to face France this Saturday in Croke Park (5pm). From a Munster perspective, eight players make the starting 15 with two more occupying seats on the bench. But in the most notable of selections, Ireland Captain Brian O’Driscoll and Paddy Wallace will form a new centre partnership
for the first time in an RBS Six Nations Championship game. It’s also the Ulster man’s first start in an RBS campaign as well as in Croke Park.
The two started together in the midfield during the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia in 2008 and rekindle that link for the first time at home. Robert Kearney is selected at fullback and his Leinster colleague Luke Fitzgerald is named on the left wing, who along with Tommy Bowe, make up the back three for the side. Ronan O’Gara and Tomas O’Leary continue their provincial partnership at outhalf and scrumhalf respectively.
The forwards include Jerry Flannery at hooker who will pack down in the front row with Marcus Horan and John Hayes, who will be winning his 90th cap for Ireland in his 45th consecutive appearance in the Championship.
Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell start in the second row together for Ireland for the 23rd time. The back row trio of Ferris, Wallace and Heaslip remain in place from the side that started against Argentina during November.
The Ireland A team to play England Saxons was also named today and contains nine uncapped players in the starting side. The team will be captained by secondrow Bob Casey.
See our press conference video.
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Ireland Team v France
15 – Robert Kearney (UCD – Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD – Leinster) Captain
12 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena – Ulster)
11 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College – Leinster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution – Munster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin – Munster)
1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon – Munster)
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon – Munster)
3 – John Hayes (Bruff- Munster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution – Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster – Munster)
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon – Ulster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen – Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas – Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Rory Best (Banbridge – Ulster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone – Ulster)*
18 – Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College – Leinster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution – Munster)
20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon – Munster)
21 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne – Leinster)
22 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Not considered due to injury:
Keith Earls (Young Munster – Munster)
Ireland A Team v England Saxons
15 – Gavin Duffy (Galwegians – Connacht)
14 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena – Ulster)
13 – Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)*
12 – Keith Matthews (Buccaneers – Connacht)*
11 – Mark McCrea (Malone -Ulster)*
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College – Leinster)*
9 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf – Leinster)*
2 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers -Connacht)*
3 – Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
4 – Bob Casey (London Irish) Captain
5 – Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon – Ulster)*
6 – Neil Best (Northampton)
7 – Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College – Leinster)
8 – John Muldoon (Galwegians – Connacht)*
Replacements:
16 – John Fogarty (Leinster)*
17 – John Andress (Exeter)*
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
19 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf – Leinster)*
20 – Isaac Boss (Ballymena – Ulster)
21 – Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster)*
22 – Barry Murphy (U.L. Bohemians -Munster)
