Three Changes For Ireland

Eoin Reddan will make his Rugby World Cup debut on Friday as one of three changes to the starting XV for Ireland’s crunch game against France.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has made three changes to the Ireland starting team to face France in Pool D of the World Cup in Paris on Friday.

In the backs there are two changes in personnel. Andrew Trimble, who has recovered from a finger injury, comes onto the left wing in place of Denis Hickie. 

The other back-line change sees Eoin Reddan named at scrum half in place of Peter Stringer. Reddan, who won a Heineken Cup medal this year with Wasps, will make his fourth start for Ireland having previously appeared as a replacement against France in 2006 and against Scotland last month. He got his first full start against Argentina on the recent summer tour.

In the pack, Jerry Flannery makes his first start of the tournament at hooker instead of Rory Best. Best picked up a thumb injury on Saturday and will be out for up to three weeks.

There are also two changes to the replacements, with Frankie Sheahan and Gavin Duffy being named in the matchday 22.

IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v France, Stade de France, Friday, September 21, kick-off 9pm local time):
 

Player                                     Club                                        

15 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
14 – Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)    
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)                
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)                    
9 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps)            
1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)                      
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)   
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)                      
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Simon Easterby (Llanelli)  
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)                      

Replacements:

16 – Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
17 – Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
18 – Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
19 – Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
20 – Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
21 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)                      
22 – Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)