The Irish senior mens and Womens teams have named their sides ahead of this weekends Six Nations Openers against Italy, while the Irish Wolfhounds have named their side for a clash against England Saxons. The Ireland mens team to play Italy in Rome this Saturday in the opening game of the 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship contains one new cap and nine changes to the side from the game against Argentina last November.
Fergus McFadden will win his first cap for Ireland and is selected on the right wing and will play in a new combination back three with Keith Earls picked on the left wing and Luke Fitzgerald being chosen at full back for Ireland for the first time. The final change to the backline sees Tomas O’Leary come into the scrumhalf position after missing all of the Guinness Series in November due to injury.
In the pack, Rory Best returns to the side at hooker with Mike Ross earning his first start in the championship at tight head prop. Paul O’Connell is another who returns to the team to earn his 71st cap in the second row. The back row is also a new combination at international level with Denis Leamy selected alongside David Wallace and Sean O’Brien, who earns his first RBS 6 Nations start for Ireland.
Ireland Team (to play Italy, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Stadio Flaminio, Rome on Saturday, February 5th, 15:30)
15 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 – Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
he Ireland Women’s Team to play Italy in their opening match of the RBS 6 Nations has been named by Head Coach Philip Doyle.
Fiona Coghlan will captain the side and is joined in the front row by Gillian Bourke, now playing her club rugby in Bristol and Lauren Day, who missed out on the Women’s Rugby World Cup through injury.
Marie Lousie Reilly, is joined in the second row by Laura Guest.
Carol Staunton and Claire Molloy will pack down in the back row either side of dynamic number 8 Joy Neville.
Nora Stapleton, who made her debut against Italy last year moves from the wing to out-half, a position she has been playing for her club side Old Belvedere. She will be partnered in the half backs by Blackrock’s Amy Davis.
The highly experienced Lynne Cantwell is joined in the centre by Highfield’s Geraldine Rea.
Niamh Briggs will again assume the kicking duties from full back with UL Bohemians wingers Mairead Kelly and Niamh Kavanagh completing the back three.
Ireland Women v Italy Women,(RBS 6 Nations Championship, Rovigo, Sunday February 6th, 14:30 local time, 13:30 Irish time)
15. Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster)
14. Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
13. Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile)
12. Geraldine Rea (Highfield/Munster) *
11. Mairead Kelly (UL Bohemians/Munster)
10. Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
9. Amy Davis (Blackrock/Leinster)
1. Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) Captain
2. Gillian Bourke (Bristol/Munster)
3. Lauren Day (Waterloo/Ulster)
4. Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
5. Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster)
6. Carol Staunton (Galwegians/Connacht)
7. Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht)
8. Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Replacements:
16. Stacey Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster) *
17. Emer McManamly (Blackrock/Leinster)
18. Deirdre O’Brien (Blackrock/Leinster) *
19. Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster) *
20. Larissa Muldoon (UWIC/Exile) *
21. Gill Nolan (St. Mary’s/Leinster) *
22. Jackie Shiels (Richmond/Leinster)
The O2 Ireland Wolfhounds team that will clash with the England Saxons team this Friday in Ravenhill has been named, with tickets for the game still available for purchase from the Ulster Branch or from www.ulsterrugby.com
There are two changes in the backline from the last outing for the Wolfhounds against Scotland A last Friday, with David Kearney coming into the team at full back in place of Gavin Duffy and Isaac Boss moving up from the bench to start in place of Tomas O’Leary.
Declan Fitzpatrick starts the game at tight head prop in place of the injured Tony Buckley and there is a change in the second row partnership with Donnacha Ryan and Mick O’Driscoll starting in place of Devin Toner and Ian Nagle, with Nagle named among the replacements. The final change to the side is at blindside, with Mike McCarthy coming into the team instead of Kevin McLaughlin.
Talking about the game, O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Coach Eric Elwood said, “I think there was some good things we can take out of the last game, but this week sees another step up for the players in terms of opposition and while some of the guys have moved onto the senior team which is great to see, we have some quality experience coming back into the team with Micko (O’Driscoll) and Donnacha (Ryan) giving us some great grunt in the forwards, which will be really important this Friday.”
“I want the players who were involved last week to learn from the game where in the first half we really bossed the contact area. If we can do that and be accurate in the set piece, we have enough talent in the side to cause any side real problems at this level, but we will have to improve to match a good Saxons team. Playing at home is a great plus for us and hopefully we will have a big Ravenhill crowd to make it a good atmosphere to help give those home supporters a good performance and a win.”
O2 Ireland Wolfhounds team v England Saxons, (Friday, February 4th, Ravenhill, 19:30)
15 – David Kearney (Lansdowne – Leinster)
14 – Johne Murphy (Young Munster – Munster)
13 – Eoin O’Malley (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
12 – Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
11 – Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution – Munster)
10 – Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster)
9 – Isaac Boss (Terenure College – Leinster)
1 – Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians – Connacht)
2 – Damien Varley (Garryowen – Munster)
3 – Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon – Ulster)
4 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
5 – Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution – Munster)
6 – Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers – Connacht)
7 – Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
8 – Chris Henry (Ballymena – Ulster) Captain
Replacements:
16 – Nigel Brady (Dungannon – Ulster)
17 – Jamie Hagan (Corinthians – Connacht)
18 – Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution – Munster)
19 – Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne – Leinster)
20 – Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)
21 – Ian Keatley (Galwegians- Connacht)
22 – Fionn Carr (Galwegians- Connacht)
