The Ireland Coaching team have selected a strong side to face the Springboks at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday for the first game of the 2014 Guinness Series.

There is one new cap in the match day 23, with Ulster’s Jared Payne set to make his debut alongside Robbie Henshaw in an exciting new centre partnership.

Paul O’Connell captains the side and is joined in the engine room by Devin Toner. The backrow is made up of Jamie Heaslip, Chris Henry and Peter O’Mahony while the front row sees Jack McGrath and Mike Ross pack down either side of their provincial teammate Sean Cronin.

Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton are re-united at half-back and Tommy Bowe returns to the back three for the first time since last year’s Guinness Series and lines out alongside Simon Zebo and Rob Kearney.

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There is plenty of impact on the bench with Richardt Strauss, Dave Kilcoyne, Rodney Ah You, Mike McCarthy and Rhys Ruddock providing cover for the pack and Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan and Felix Jones covering the outfield.

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster – 55 caps), 14 Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster – 54 caps), 13 Jared Payne (Ulster *), 12 Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers / Connacht – 3 caps), 11 Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution / Munster – 8 caps), 10 Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro – 45 caps), 9 Conor Murray (Garryowen / Munster – 28 caps), 8 Jamie Heaslip (Naas / Leinster – 67 caps), 7 Chris Henry (Malone / Ulster – 16 caps), 6 Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution / Munster – 23 caps), 5 Paul O’Connell (Young Munster / Munster – Captain, 94 caps), 4 Devin Toner (Lansdowne / Leinster – 17 caps), 3 Mike Ross (Clontarf / Leinster – 41 caps), 2 Sean Cronin (St Mary’s College / Leinster – 35 caps), 1 Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College / Leinster – 10 caps)
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley / Leinster – 4 caps), 17 Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians / Munster – 10 caps), 18 Rodney Ah You (Corinthians / Connacht – 1 cap), 19 Mike McCarthy (Lansdowne / Leinster – 15 caps), 20 Rhys Ruddock (St Mary’s College / Leinster – 3 caps), 21 Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne / Leinster – 55 caps), 22 Ian Madigan (Blackrock / Leinster – 10 caps), 23 Felix Jones (Shannon / Munster – 6 caps)

*Denotes uncapped player