Murray and O’Gara to start at 9 and 10

The Ireland team to play Italy in the final Rugby World Cup Pool C match against Italy this Sunday shows eight changes and one positional switch to the starting side that played Russia in the last game. Munster’s Conor Murray will partner his provincial team mate Ronan O’Gara at half back.

Tommy Bowe comes onto the right wing in place of Fergus McFadden. Captain Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy are named as the centre pairing in place of Paddy Wallace and Keith Earls, who retains his place in the side and moves to the left wing.

Hooker Rory Best and prop Mike Ross return to the starting front row with Paul O’Connell coming into the second row in place of Leo Cullen.  The final change sees Stephen Ferris named in the back row instead of Donnacha Ryan who moves into the replacements.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Italy, 2011 Rugby World Cup Pool C, Otago Stadium, Sunday, October 2, kick-off 8:30pm local time/8:30am Irish time):

15 – Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/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 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Leinster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)