Ireland coach Declan Kidney has made three changes to the team that played Wales in Ireland’s final 2011 Rugby World Cup match for this weekend’s Six Nations opener.
rugbyweek
Keith Earls will start at centre alongside Gordon D’Arcy with Andrew, Trimble coming into the team on the left wing.
In the half-backs Jonathan, Sexton will win his 25th cap and he is partnered by Conor Murray.
The pack is unchanged from the last game with Paul O’Connell wearing, the captain’s armband.
The uncapped Peter O’Mahony is named in, the replacements.
Ireland Team: 15 Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster), 14 Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), 13 Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), 12 Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), 11 Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), 10 Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), 9 Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), 1 Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), 2 Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), 3 Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), 4 Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), 5 Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) Captain, 6 Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), 7 Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), 8 Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster).
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), 17 Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), 18 Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), 19 Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), 20 Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), 21 Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), 22 Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster).