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| Brian ODriscoll © Gallo Images |
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has made six changes to the team that ran out 41-6 winners against Fiji last weekend ahead of what should be a tougher encounter against South Africa on Saturday.
Kidney has made three changes in the backline of the Six Nations
champions with Tommy Bowe returning to the team on the right wing
in place of Shane Horgan.
Paddy Wallace moves from the bench to start at inside centre
with Gordon D'Arcy named in the replacements. Tomas O'Leary is
selected in the starting team at scrumhalf.
Jonathan Sexton, who scored 16 points last weekend on his
flawless debut, has retained his place at outhalf in the team
announced on Tuesday at the expense of Ronan O'Gara.
The forwards have also seen three changes with Cian Healy
starting at loosehead after recovering from his shoulder injury and
Tony Buckley is retained in the replacements.
Donncha O'Callaghan also returns to the side in the second row
with Leo Cullen moving to the replacements.
David Wallace, who was not involved in the match 22 against
Fiji, is selected at openside.
World champions South Africa on Monday put off naming the team
to play Ireland in Dublin because of an injury crisis which forced
them to cancel training.
The Springboks - who grabbed their first win of the northern
hemisphere tour on Saturday against Italy - had intended to name
their team on Tuesday but have delayed it till Thursday.
The 'Boks - who have lost to France, and English Premiership
sides Leicester and Saracens - have eight players injured including
six that played in the defeat to France.
Fullback Zane Kirchner (knee), centre Adi Jacobs (ankle),
scrumhalf Fourie du Preez (hand), lock Bakkies Botha (back),
hooker Bismarck du Plessis (ribs) and backrow forward Schalk Burger
(ribs) are the six injured players to have started the 20-13
reverse against France in Toulouse on November 13.
Aside from them replacement hooker Adriaan Strauss has a back
injury and prop CJ van der Linde is suffering from a groin injury.
Team: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Tommy Bowe, 13-Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12-Paddy Wallace, 11-Keith Earls, 10-Jonathan Sexton, 9-Tomas O'Leary; 8-Jamie Heaslip, 7-David Wallace, 6-Stephen Ferris, 5-Paul O'Connell, 4-Donncha O'Callaghan, 3-John Hayes, 2-Jerry Flannery, 1-Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16-Sean Cronin, 17-Tony Buckley, 18-Leo Cullen, 19-Denis Leamy, 20-Peter Stringer, 21-Ronan O'Gara, 22-Gordon D'Arcy.
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