Jonathan Sexton will make his Ireland debut in Saturday’s Guinness series clash against Fiji in the RDS (KO: 5.15pm)…
There are eight changes to the Ireland team that drew 20-20 with Australia to the side that will take on Fiji this weekend in the second game of the 2009 Guinness Series.
The game, which will be the first ever international to take place in the Royal Dublin Society grounds, sees five changes to the backline and three in the pack.
Keith Earls, who replaced the injured Luke Fitzgerald against Australia, retains his place on the left wing with Shane Horgan coming in on the right wing for Tommy Bowe.
Gordon D’Arcy comes into the centre and there is a new halfback partnership with Jonathan Sexton earning his first cap at No.10 with Eoin Reddan starting at scrumhalf.
Tom Court starts the game at loosehead prop and Leo Cullen comes into the side to partner Paul O’Connell in the secondrow. There is one change to the back row with Denis Leamy replacing David Wallace.
The replacements include Andrew Trimble and the uncapped Sean O’Brien, both of whom were involved in the recent A game against Tonga in Ravenhill.
Tomas O’Leary, Paddy Wallace and Donncha O’Callaghan are also named among the replacements after starting against Australia with Tony Buckley and the uncapped Sean Cronin completing the bench.
IRELAND:
15: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14: Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
13: Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) CAPTAIN
12: Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11: Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10: Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)*
9: Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1: Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
2: Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3: John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4: Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
5: Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6: Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7: Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
8: Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
17: Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
18: Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
19: Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)*
20: Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
21: Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
22: Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
*Denotes Uncapped Player
