IRELAND RUGBY BOSS Declan Kidney has named a new-look side for the non-cap international against Fiji in Limerick this weekend.
Jamie Heaslip will again lead the team — despite his sin-binning last time out against the Springboks.
Mike Ross and Conor Murray have also been retained from that game.
Young Ulster kicker Paddy Jackson gets his chance and will partner the Munster scrum half. The back three is made up of the uncapped Craig Gilroy on the left with Fergus McFadden on the right and Denis Hurley at fullback.
Ireland lost to South Africa at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday and will face Argentina in Dublin next week.
Ireland team (v Fiji): D Hurley, F McFadden, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy, P Jackson, C Murray, D Kilcoyne, S Cronin, M Ross, D O’Callaghan, D Tuohy, I Henderson, J Muldoon, J Heaslip.
Replacements: R Strauss, C Healy, M Bent, D Ryan, C Henry, P Marshall, J Sexton, S Zebo.
What do you think?
Why is Conor Murray playing?? Marshall should be starting. It is of no benefit to start Conor Murray here, it is quite obvious that he is not the country’s best 9 as it is anyway so why not give Marshall a chance? Is Kidney afraid he will be forced to drop Murray from the match day 22 if Marshall performs well?
Also I think Dennis Hurley has no right to be here. He isn’t a starter for Munster so why here? Madigan or Dave Kearney, players with a lot of talent and future potential would have been better off playing and getting experience.
Good to see Gilroy, Jackson and Henderson playing though.
What the hell is the story with playing Mike Ross?
Surely this is the perfect chance to give Bent a run? How does Kidney expect to build depth when he refuses to, eh, build depth! He’ll still give out about the provinces with foreign THs, and when he’s handed a solution he won’t use it!
We know what Ross, and also Healy can do. Why not replace them in this selection with Court and Bent and actually give some props gametime. Farcical really.
Court is chronic
They have it advertised as the Wolfhounds on IRFU website so wouldnt have expected an A team…
Good job, Emily. This is the journal so….
It’s annoying, Hurley in an Irish jersey shows how cheap kidney hands them out to his pals.
Mike Ross to be flogged to death just like the bull before him.
Conor Murrary again!
How Madigan can’t get a go in a Game like this is beyond belief.
Why heaslip?
Please please kidney stay in your beloved Spiritual home and leave the future of Irish rugby to people who care about it.
its not an “irish ” jersey its a wolfhounds jersey , note the slight difference ! real rugby people know that . its not just rds rugby , we have an AIL most saturdays , have a look at grassroots rugby
It’s a non-cap match. Don’t need you watchin if you’re that type of fan. It would have been time for Marshall and reckon Bent doesn’t have faith or fitness for 80 minutes.
On another note why is it so difficult to comment on The Score?
I can’t say i agree with everything above, Madigan should be in. Murray shouldn’t be there. Donnacha shouldn’t be there. It’s farcical at this stage how some of the country top performers are being overlooked. I don’t mean Dave Kearney by the way. I would love to know how selection is determined, really. Really.
Forwards look about right but I would swap O Mahoney for Heaslip
Hurley has to be looked at as we lack any options at full back.
Missed opportunity to let earls and cave/Mcfadden partner up in midfield god knows we need game time to work on backs moves
No options at fullback?
Henshaw, Madigan, Earls, Jones… just off the top of my head.
People are quick to knock the bull,and kidney too for that matter,both men were around for the grand slam.Fact.
The bull was a shit scrummager, only good for line outs, The grand slam was due to the building work of Eddie O Sullivan
The grand slam was loooooong ago. Kidney out.
Be a perfect game for Madigan, open, broken play. Murray??Hurley?? O Callaghan?? Heaslip?? Mc Fadden should be playing 12. This is a joke, what e a rly is the section policy? How can Paddy Jackson be ahead of Madigan? I’m happy there are new caps, but it doesn’t sit well how some guys are just not getting a fair crack. I believe that there is stuff happening behind the scenes with some players as well, & when they disagree Kidney refuses to look at them again. Great man management skills. A few notable absentees, if thought about for a few seconds.
Paddy Jackson is a great talent Jamie. He deserves a chance.
I don’t disagree, he deserves a chance, why not start Madigan & give Jackson the 2nd half? Or vice versa. Undoubtedly they are the 3 form outhalves.
Mcfadden should not be 12. Remember what George North did to him? He gets flung aside all the time. Cave all the way.
It’s annoying, Hurley in an Irish jersey shows how cheap kidney hands them out to his pals.
Mike Ross to be flogged to death just like the bull before him.
Conor Murrary again!
How Madigan can’t get a go in a Game like this is beyond belief.
Why heaslip?
Please please kidney stay in your beloved Spiritual home and leave the future of Irish rugby to people who care about it.
hello caps ? its irish wolfhounds hence no caps
What’s this, The C team? Wont be watchin
No sign of Downey either!!! A bit hitting good passing centre is something we need!!