Ireland Coach Declan Kidney has named the team to play France in the second game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship in Paris on Saturday.
Keith Earls has been selected on the left wing in place of Andrew Trimble.
Vacancies have been left at second row and blindside flanker pending confirmation of the fitness of Donncha O’Callaghan and Stephen Ferris.
Both players took part in training with the Ireland team today but a final decision will be made on Thursday.
The seven replacements will also be finalised on Thursday from the possible nine players named today.
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v France, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Stade de France, February 13, kick-off 16:30 gmt):
15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 - Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
5 - Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - A.N.Other
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
O’Callaghan must have caught Kidney riding one of the players wives or something. He has to be the luckiest player to hold onto a jersey for the past 5 years. Would have had no issue with O’Gara being picked ahead of Sexton but don’t think O’Callaghan deserves to be picked ahead of Cullen if Kidney is picking on form as he always says he is.
Big game for McLaughlin and I’d worry for him but would have confidence at the same time!
The rest of the team really picks itself. Disappointed Boss hasn’t replaced Reddan.
O’ Callaghan is more athletic than Cullen Mac, thats the main difference really, Cullen is stronger. Horses for courses really.
While Boss is in better form, he’s closer to International class. Thats an important factor that the likes of us forget sometimes. Even in GAA terms, i’ve often heard about guys tearing it up in club football, but they’ll never be called up to county team, and rightly so in most cases. A guy can be very affective as a high fielder in club games for example, but thats not enough at IC. I think Boss falls into this category, and its decision making that costs him, IMO.
I think we were had, possibly Mac? It did say once or twice on the screen that there was technical difficulties. But Italy wasn’t mentioned in what i listened to.
