Earls to fullback as O’Gara dropped for England clash

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KEITH Earls will take up the fullback slot for the battle against England at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday evening in a side that sees two changes in personel.

The team named this Wednesday to play England in the final game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship sees Luke Fitzgerald drop to the bench while Andrew Trimble comes into the team on the left wing, for his first start in this yearโ€™s Championship.

Jonathan Sexton will start the game with Ronan Oโ€™Gara moving to the replacements.

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Eoin Reddan has made good progress from the concussion he received in the game against Wales and will visit a neurologist this week to confirm he is fit to play.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v England, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, March 19, kick-off 5.00pm):
15 – Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)โ€จ14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)โ€จ13 – Brian Oโ€™Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)โ€จ12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)โ€จ11 โ€“ Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)โ€จ10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)โ€จ9 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)โ€จ1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)โ€จ2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)โ€จ3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)โ€จ4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)โ€จ5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)โ€จ6 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)โ€จ7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)โ€จ8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:โ€จ16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)โ€จ17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)โ€จ18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)โ€จ19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)โ€จ20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)โ€จ21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)โ€จ22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)