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 year’s Championship.
Jonathan Sexton will start the game with Ronan O’Gara moving to the replacements.
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)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
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 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
