Ireland Team Announced For Wales Clash

The Ireland coaching team have announced the starting line-up for Saturday’s GUINNESS Summer Series showdown with Wales at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 2.30pm). Paul O’Connell returns to captain the side in his last international on home soil.

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell is partnered in the second row by Iain Henderson. Jamie Heaslip starts at number 8 with Peter O’Mahony returning on the blindside flank and Jordi Murphy filling the openside berth.

The front row consists of Jack McGrath, Richardt Strauss and Nathan White, with the Connacht tighthead prop making his first international start having come off the bench against Scotland two weeks ago.
 
Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton pair up at half-back with Robbie Henshaw and Luke Fitzgerald lining out together in midfield. It will be Fitzgerald’s first start at centre since November 2008’s win over Argentina.

The back-three consists of Keith Earls, a recent try scorer against Wales in Cardiff, and brothers Dave and Rob Kearney. Dave, who is back to full fitness, is set for his first start on the wing since the 2014 Six Nations title-clinching victory over France.

The selected replacements are Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, uncapped prop Tadhg Furlong, Donnacha Ryan, Sean O’Brien, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Jackson and Felix Jones.

With Ireland’s 31-man Rugby World Cup squad to be announced early next week, head coach Joe Schmidt said: “We’re still very open minded about whether players are playing back in their provinces this weekend.

“I know some of the players who play with their province are likely to be in the 31 and some of the players who are still with us are potentially going to miss out on the 31. That’s the nature of it.

“Those front row decisions, the conundrum around the scrum half/out-half, and an obvious place is the back-three, or even the back five. Any decisions that get made there will be based on performances this weekend. That’s a real pressure-cooker for players, but then again, that’s what the World Cup is going to be.”
 
Tickets remain available for Ireland’s final home game of the GUINNESS Summer Series (live on Sky Sports 1) from ticketmaster.ie – click here.
 
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, 2015 GUINNESS Summer Series, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, August 29, kick-off 2.30pm):

15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 
13. Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
2. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
3. Nathan White (Connacht)
4. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) *
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
20. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
23. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)

* Denotes uncapped player