Declan Kidney announces his match day squad for Ireland’s last pre-world cup warm up encounter against England
The Irish Rugby Union has announced their match day squad for the teams last pre-world cup warm up encounter against England. Ireland head coach, Declan Kidney, listed his squad on Thursday,
August 25.
Irish will host England at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, August 27. Saturday’s encounter will be the Irish squads fourth pre-world cup encounter. They have already lost their first three
encounters, one against Scotland, which was followed by the two defeats handed over the Les Blues.
Declan has made seven changes to his starting xv, which took the field against the France at Lansdowne Road on August 20. The trio of Rob Kearney, Sean O'Brien and Brian O'Driscoll has been
rested from the weekend’s encounter against the England. Rob Kearney and Brian O'Driscoll are suffering from the groin and shoulder injury respectively.
Declan has expressed his satisfaction with the rehabilitation of the O'Brien and O'Driscoll from their respective injuries. Commenting on Kearney, he has expressed his confidence, he will
be match fit, by the Ireland’s 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) encounter against the USA Eagles.
In backs, Gordon Murphy has replaced Felix Jones at the fullback position, while Jones is dropped from the match day squad. Andrew Trimble moves from the right-winger to the left-winger position,
in place of the Keith Earls, who will start the match as the outside centre. Earl replaced Brian O'Driscoll, who is sidelined from the Saturdays’ encounter due to the shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Tommy Bowe is the new addition in the starting xv, as he will
start the proceedings at the right-winger position.
Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan will make the new halfback pair in place of the Jonathan Sexton and Tomas O’Leary. O’Leary has been dropped from the squad, while the fly half Sexton, will start
the match from the bench.
Declan has tried a combination in the back row forwards, which is strengthened by the return of the Stephen Ferris in the squad. Ferris will make the flanker pair with the David Wallace. The
duo of Ferris and Wallace has replaced Sean O’Brien and Shane Jennings at the number six and seven positions.
Besides this, Jerry Flannery has been moved from the bench to start the match at the hooker position in place of Rory Best. Best is named among the reserves, for Ireland’s weekend encounter
against the Ireland.
The Ireland’s match day 22 for their weekend encounter against the England consists of
Starting XV:
Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls (Munster), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Donncha O'Callaghan
(Munster), Paul O'Connell (capt, Munster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: Rory Best (Ulster), Tom Court (Ulster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Conor Murray (Munster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster).
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