Paul O'Connell has been declared fit to play for Ireland against Scotland on Saturday. He will be partnered in the second row by the country's most-capped player, Malcolm O'Kelly.

O'Connell, who missed the recent win over Wales due to a left shoulder injury, passed a fitness test earlier today and has been selected in the Irish starting line-up for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland.

O'Connell's Munster colleague Donncha O'Callaghan has been named amongst the replacements.

IRELAND TEAM (v SCOTLAND, Lansdowne Road, Saturday, March 11, kick-off 3.30pm):

15 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 37
14 - Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 43
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (Captain) (Blackrock College/Leinster) 62
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 18
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 4
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 58
9 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 64

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 35
2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 4
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 60
4 - Malcolm O'Kelly (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 78
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 31
6 - Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 47
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 25
8 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 9

Replacements:

16 - Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 3
17 - Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12
18 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 22
19 - Johnny O'Connor (Wasps) 11
20 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 1
21 - David Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster) 72
22 - Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 62

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