Ireland Team To Play England

The Ireland team to play England in the final match of the GUINNESS Summer Series has been named. In all, there are seven changes in personnel to the side that started last weekend’s game against France.

In the back-line, Geordan Murphy comes in at full-back to win his 70th cap with Tommy Bowe making his first start of the campaign on the wing. Andrew Trimble completes the back-three.

Keith Earls will start alongside Gordon D’Arcy in the centre, while Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan form the half-back partnership.

Up front Jerry Flannery is named at hooker alongside Cian Healy and Mike Ross. Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell are paired in the second row for their 40th start together for Ireland, with O’Connell named as captain.

Flankers Stephen Ferris and David Wallace both start for the first time this season, with Jamie Heaslip completing the back row.

Tickets for the GUINNESS Summer Series tie are sold out. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 2, and there will be highlights later in the day on both RTÉ Two and BBC Two.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v England, 2011 GUINNESS Summer Series, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, August 27, kick-off 2.30pm):

15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt)
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
21 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 – Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)