O’Gara To Lead As Murphy Returns

Ronan O’Gara will captain the Ireland team in their last game of the 2008 RBS Six Nations against England at Twickenham on Saturday. O’Gara takes over as skipper from the injured Brian O’Driscoll, while Geordan Murphy returns at full-back with Shane Horgan moving to the centre.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has named Ronan O’Gara as captain of the Ireland team to play England in the RBS Six Nations championship this weekend. This will be the Munster out-half’s first time to captain the side that sees one personnel change from the team that lost to Wales last weekend.

Geordan Murphy returns to the full-back position, but will undergo a fitness test later this week to confirm his selection in the team. With Brian O’Driscoll unavailable due to his hamstring injury and Murphy returning to the side, there has been a reshuffle along the three-quarter line. 

Rob Kearney has reverted from full-back to the left wing and Tommy Bowe switches flanks to the right side. Shane Horgan moves to inside centre and Andrew Trimble will don the number 13 jersey to form a new centre partnership.  

IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v England, 2008 RBS 6 Nations, Twickenham, Saturday, March 15, kick-off 3pm local time):

Player / Club / Caps

15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers) 55

14 – Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12

13 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 23

12 – Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) 60

11 – Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 5

10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 81 (capt)

9 – Eoin Reddan (London Wasps) 9  

1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 55 

2 – Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 21

3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 83 

4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 44

5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 51

6 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 31

7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 45

8 – Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster) 7

Replacements:

16 – Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster) 8
 
17 – Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster) 6

18 – Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 14

19 – Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets) 64

20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 81

21 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 7

22 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster) 3

Not Considered Due To Injury

Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) {arm}
Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) {hip}
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) {hamstring}
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) {hamstring}