One Change For Ireland Team To Play England

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has announced the team to play England in the round 3 of the RBS 6 Nations Championship at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 3pm).

Jordi Murphy is the only change to the starting line-up from the France game, slotting in at number 8 for the sidelined Jamie Heaslip.

Paul O’Connell, who wins his 99th cap for Ireland, will lead the side and is partnered by Devin Toner in the second row. The front row is made up of Jack McGrath, Mike Ross and Rory Best and Murphy joins Peter O’Mahony and Sean O’Brien in the back row.

The back-line is unchanged with Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton paired together again at half-back and Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne lining out together in the centre.  

Regular full-back Rob Kearney wins his 60th cap and is joined in the back-three by wingers Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo.
 
Eoin Reddan and Tommy O’Donnell have been added to the replacements bench alongside Sean Cronin, Martin Moore, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Ian Madigan and Felix Jones.
 
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v England, 2015 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, March 1, kick-off 3pm):

Player/Club/Province/Caps –
 
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 59
14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 58
13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 3
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) 7
11. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 13
10. Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92) 48
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 32
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 14
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 80
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) 46
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 22
5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt) 98
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 27
7. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) 31
8. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 6
 
Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 40
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 48
18. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster) 7
19. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 14
20. Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 7
21. Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 58
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 15
23. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster) 10