Declan Kidney makes nine changes to Ireland for World Cup warm-up encounter against France
Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has announced their match day 22 squad for their second pre-World Cup match against France. The Irish national Rugby Union team, head coach, Declan Kidney, listed the squad for their French encounter, on Friday, August 19.
This is their second consecutive encounter against the Les Blues in a week’s time and is part of their preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign. Ireland will host France at Lansdowne Road, Dublin on Saturday, August 20.
Kidney has announced nine changes in his starting lineup, compared to the side which took the field against the France in last week’s encounter.
Ireland will look to put up a better performance at home, following last weekend’s poor performance at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux. France handed over a 19 – 12 defeat to Ireland at Bordeaux last Saturday, at August 13.
Ireland’s August 20th match preparations suffered a major blow as their star international back row forward, David Wallace, has been dropped from the match 22. Wallace has sustained a hamstring strain and the Leinster back row forward, Shane Jennings, replaces
him for Saturday’s encounter.
Official of the IRFU confirmed that the injury to Wallace is not serious and he is being rested for Saturday’s match as a precautionary measure. Official’s added, "It is expected that Wallace will be available for selection for next week's game against England.”
In other changes, Felix Jones has been moved from the bench into the starting lineup. He replaced Rob Kearney at the full back position.
Ireland has also tried a new centre duo of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy. The duo has replaced Keith Earls and Paddy Wallace at the outside and inside centre positions, respectively. Andrew Tremble retains his place at the right-winger position, while
Keith Earls will join him at the left-winger position, in place of the Luke Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald drops to the bench.
Kidney has also named a new halfback pair of the Jonathan Sexton and Tomas O’Leary in the starting lineup. The duo has replaced Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan, at the fly half and scrumhalf positions.
O’Gara and Reddan will start the match from the bench and the front row forward trio is unchanged, while Paul O’Connell is moved into the starting xv from the bench to form the new second row forward pair with the Donncha O'Callaghan.
Denis Leamy has been dropped from the match day squad, making way for the Jamie Heaslip at the number eight position.
Ireland’s squad for their Saturday’s August 20 encounter consists of,
Starting XV: 15. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster), 14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), 13. Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt), 12. Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), 11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), 10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster),
9. Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster), 7. Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College/Leinster), 6. Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), 5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), 4. Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), 3. Mike
Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), 2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), 1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster),
Replacements: 16. Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster), 17. Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), 18. Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), 19. Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), 20. Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), 21. Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), 22. Luke
Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster).
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