IRELAND COACH DECLAN KIDNEY has named an unchanged Ireland team for Sunday’s Six Nations clash against England.
Gordon D’Arcy [dead leg] was Ireland’s biggest injury concern earlier in the week but has recovered sufficiently to partner Brian O’Driscoll in the midfield for the 49th time.
The exciting trio of Rob Kearney, Craig Gilroy and Simon Zebo will again be charged with providing the attacking spark, while Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton make up the half-back pairing.
Captain Jamie Heaslip has flankers Sean O’Brien and Peter O’Mahony, who overcame concussion fears, for company in the back row.
Up front, Cian Healy, a try scorer last weekend, and Mike Ross will flank hooker Rory Best. Donnacha Ryan and Mike McCarthy continue in the second row.
Earlier today, England coach Stuart Lancaster named his starting XV for Sunday’s clash at the Aviva Stadium.
There was only one change from the side that defeated Scotland last week, with James Haskell coming in for the injured Ben Morgan. Manu Tuilagi will start on the bench, with Billy Twelvetrees starting at inside centre.
Ireland: R Kearney; C Gilroy, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, S Zebo; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; M McCarthy, D Ryan; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip (c).Replacements: D Kilcoyne, S Cronin, D Fitzpatrick, D O’Callaghan, C Henry, E Reddan, R O’Gara, K Earls.
*TheScore.ie will be live for Ireland v England from the Aviva Stadium from 2pm this Sunday.
cant argue with that good team lets hope they start the way they did last week
I hope they finsh as they start aswell. Teams are even enough but if we tire in the 2nd jslf Englands bench could pounce. COYBIG
Let get it on ! Nothing to fear Ireland. Whole country behind you and would love the feel good factor of a win over auld enemy.
Mcfadden or Trimble on the bench for earls. As soon as they need to chase the game they’ll bring on the monster and if we have to change the centres a much better defender will be needed.
Other side great news with the team. All 15 deserve to play on what should be a great game.
McFadden for defence? Trimble yes, McFadden I would be doubtful of….
@Diarmuid check out his tackle count after the game on Sunday then revert back your comment!
McFadden is a good defender, reads the lines very well
Earls isn’t just covering the centre and wing; he can also play fullback(started there last time we beat England)
Earls bashing is ridiculous here. He had a good 6 nations last year where a lot of guys did not. He missed that tackle on Manu in the RWC warm-up and people never shut up about it. He’s still a gifted player.
McFadden never gets hounded for getting barrelled by North last year, which is good because he shouldn’t Same goes for Earls in my book..
Come on Ireland!
@fabio Read the team sheet and revert to your comment now!
Good team, but I would have preferred to see McFadden come on to the bench ahead of Earls. He’s proven time and again he isn’t a centre, and with D’Arcy patched up to play this weekend, I’d like a bit more reliable defensive cover.
I wouldnt agree that he has proven time and again that he’s not a centre. Does he provide like for like cover for BOD? Of course not, nobody in the world does, that is a very unfair benchmark to judge anybody on. He came on at 12 last week, when was the last time he played 12? He is a world class winger suffering from having the ability to cover up to 5 positions. I personally would have had him on instead of Gilroy last week but Gilroy did nothing wrong so doesnt deserve to be dropped.
He has asked to play in the centre & has been given ample opportunity to prove himself as international (as opposed to BOD) standard. He hasn’t done it.
He has now slipped down the pecking order out wide as a result. He’s a great winger who should have focused on making that position his own.
I’m in no way trying to compare him to BOD, he’s a once in a life time player that it is fair to say is irreplaceable. As other people have said, Earls is a very good winger, it’s that he isn’t a great centre. He reads the wrong lines when at 13 (often not seeing the chance at an overlap) and when he does see the overlaps, his passing often isn’t great. I’m not saying that McFadden doesn’t have his flaws either, I would agree that Earls is a better winger than him, it’s just that although they are close in wing ability (with Earls shading it), McFadden is considerably better at both 12 and 13. When it is your 12 who is looking the likeliest to go off injured at some stage during the match, I’d be happier to have a better 12 on the bench than a better wing.
Game on…Come on Ireland!!
Go Ireland.
I think people are laying on Earls too much, he was very solid in last years 6N at 13.. i agree he is much better winger but f Zebo ,Kearney or Golroy go off, I know who i want on the wing, and its no McFadden
Sorry but he just wasn’t very solid in last years 6N, he’s a top winger, but he’s lost in the centre, his positional sense is very poor and he constantly leaves gaps on his inside that any decent international player will expose time and again.
Norths try last week was a classic example.
North?
North and McFadden maybe.
McFadden and ‘much better defender’ should not be in the same sentence!
Is it true that Billy Twelvetrees nickname is 36? Serious question!
Yes, coined by Geordan Murphy at Leicester
Yep it’s from the way Geordan murphy says his name the lads in Leinster say it sounds like 12×3′s
Twelvetrees = 12 x 3 =36 :-)
Commentary team;
Well here’s an impact sub if ever there was one! England will want Manu to punch some big holes to regain that lead.
Looks like Kidney is making his own change, D’Arcy’s coming off and one has to ask if that’s a good idea. . . Hold on is that Henry coming on and O’Brien moving to centre? Did O’ Brien just wave at Manu, no time for that, he’s now got the ball, at pace and and oooooh!
And there’s the medical staff.
Just to be fair, Earls did not miss a tackle when he came on with Ireland under pressure, what he did ,as the Welsh had an overlap, was to try and anticipate the pass to the next receiver, unfortunately the pass never came and the Welsh centre ran through the gap unopposed. If he had got it right he probably prevented a score. No centre in the world, even BOD, can claim they never missed a tackle.
Sunday. Beer in hand feet up can’t wait
mc faddens defence is much better the earls! That’s why I say have him as the cover! Reason earls is there is he can cover the 3 positions but in all reality he can’t cover centre!
Its all about the scrum on Sunday everything else will work it self out
I’ve been worried all week , but suddenly I’m feeling good about Sunday . M’irealand.
That’s a good team with a good bench – should be able to take care of the English !
Overall pretty happy bit I think Gilroy should be on the bench, he showed signs of immaturity last week but does deserve at least the bench. McFadden should be starting or at least on the bench. Huge competition for the backs positions.