Meanwhile
Ireland
– who face the heaviest pre-World Cup workload of any European nation with
five games this month, including four Tests – have rested many of their big
names against Scotland at Murrayfield tomorrow.
The Ireland pack bares little resemblance to the pack which started their big
games last season although in the backs have a more familiar look with coach
Declan Kidney seizing the opportunity to reintroduce Rob Kearney at
full-back after the Leinster man lost much of last season to a knee injury.
Kidney also pairs Jonathan Sexton and Thomas O'Leary at half-back and will be
keen to gauge the fitness and form of Andrew Trimble and Luke Ftizgerald on
the wings. At centre, with Brian O'Driscoll taking the weekend off
completely to rest a sore neck, the promising Fergus McFadden partners Paddy
Wallace.
With home and away internationals coming in quick succession against France, a
midweek game against Connacht and then a home game against England, Kidney
has devised as strenuous a month as possible, unlike four years ago when
Ireland, by common consent, arrived in France undercooked.
IRELAND: R Kearney
(Leinster);
A
Trimble
(Ulster),
F
McFadden
(Leinster),
P
Wallace
(Ulster),
L
Fitzgerald; J Sexton
(Leinster),
T O'Leary
(Munster);
T Court
(Ulster),
S Cronin
(Connacht),
T Buckley
(Munster),
L Cullen
(Leinster, capt),
D Ryan
(Munster),
M McCarthy
(Connacht),
N
Ronan
(Munster),
D Leamy
(Munster).
Reps: J Flannery, M Horan,
J Hayes, M O'Driscoll
(all Munster),
K McLaughlin, I Boss
(both
Leinster),
F Jones
(Munster).