Ireland V USA Team

The Irish team to play the USA Eagles shows eleven changes, two positional, from the side that defeated South Africa 17 – 12 on Saturday last. The team contains two new caps in Munster flanker Denis Leamy, who replaces Johnny O’Connor and Ulster winger Tommy Bowe, who takes his place on the left wing instead of Denis Hickie.

The backline sees six changes, with two of these positional. Geordan Murphy moves from the wing to play at fullback, with Shane Horgan occupying Murphy’s vacated right wing spot. Horgan’s inside centre position is taken by Kevin Maggs, who will be winning his 66th cap. There is a new half back partnership with David Humphreys, who will be winning his 65th cap and Guy Easterby coming into the team in place of Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer, who both take up places on the bench.

The pack sees five straight changes with Marcus Horan and Frankie Sheahan coming into the team in place of Reggie Corrigan and Shane Byrne, who is named in the replacements. Donncha O’Callaghan replaces Malcolm O’Kelly in the second row and Eric Miller joins new cap Denis Leamy in the back row, with Anthony Foley reverting to the replacements.

There are also two newcomers to the match 22 for this season, with Leo Cullen and Simon Best named in the list of replacements. The Ireland team will again be captained by Brian O’Driscoll for the 17th time in winning his 54th cap (25 tries).

The Ireland team to play USA in the permanent tsb international in Lansdowne Road on Saturday, 20th November at 13.00hrs is as follows:

15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 – Shane Horgan (Leinster – Lansdowne)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster – Blackrock College) Captain
12 – Kevin Maggs (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins)
11 – Tommy Bowe (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins)
10 – David Humphreys (Ulster – Dungannon)
9 – Guy Easterby (Leinster – Blackrock College)
1 – Marcus Horan (Munster – Shannon)
2 – Frankie Sheahan (Munster – Cork Constitution)
3 – John Hayes (Munster – Bruff)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster – Cork Constitution)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Munster – Young Munster)
6 – Simon Easterby (Llanelli)
7 – Denis Leamy (Munster – Cork Constitution)
8 – Eric Miller (Leinster – Terenure College)

Replacements:
16 – Shane Byrne (Leinster – Blackrock College),
17 – Simon Best (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins),
18 – Leo Cullen (Leinster – Blackrock College),
19 – Anthony Foley (Munster – Shannon),
20 – Peter Stringer (Munster – Shannon),
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Munster – Cork Constitution),
22 – Girvan Dempsey (Leinster – Terenure College)

Not considered due to injury:
Neil Best (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins),
Victor Costello (Leinster – St. Mary’s College),
Kieran Dawson (London Irish),
Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster – Lansdowne),
Keith Gleeson (Leinster – St. Mary’s College),
Anthony Horgan (Munster – Cork Constitution),
John Kelly (Munster – Cork Constitution),
Neil McMillan (Ulster – Ballymena),
John O’Sullivan (Connacht – Garryowen),
Alan Quinlan (Munster – Shannon),
David Wallace (Munster – Garryowen),
Roger Wilson (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins).