Hickie The Only Change in Senior Squad

For Sunday week’s game against Scotland, the only change from the squad selected for the November game with Argentina sees Denis Hickie return, having been ruled out then through injury

Ireland coach, Eddie O’Sullivan’s squad for the opening Royal Bank of Scotland Six Nations game against Scotland in Murrayfield on Sunday week, ran along expected lines when it was announced on Friday.

Denis Hickie returns, having missed out on the game against Argentina – after being injured against Australia.
John Kelly the man who replaced Hickie in that game, now drops to the A squad, in favour of Leicester’s Geordan Murphy, where he will renew his Munster partnership with Rob Henderson.

Forwards. Shane Byrne (Leinster/Blackrock College), Reggie Corrigan (Leinster/Greystones), Victor Costello, (Leinster/St. Mary’s College), Leo Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock College), Anthony Foley (Munster/Shannon) vice-capt Keith Gleeson (Leinster/St. Mary’s College), John Hayes (Munster/Shannon), Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon), Gary Longwell (Ulster/Ballymena), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster/St. Mary’s College), Alan Quinlan (Munster/Shannon), Frank Sheahan (Munster/Cork Constitution).

Backs. Girvan Dempsey (Leinster/Terenure College), Guy Easterby (Llanelli), Denis Hickie (Leinster/St. Mary’s College), Shane Horgan (Leinster/Lansdowne), David Humphreys (Ulster/Dungannon) vice-capt, Kevin Maggs (Bath), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O’Gara (Munster/Cork Constitution), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster/Blackrock College) capt, Peter Stringer (Munster/Shannon).

Not considered due to injury: Jonathan Bell (Ulster/Dungannon) {Shoulder}, Emmet Byrne (Leinster/St. Mary’s College) {Calf}, Justin Bishop (London Irish) {Finger}, Tyrone Howe (Ulster/Dungannon) {Hamstring}, Paul O’Connell (Munster/Young Munster) {Thumb}, David Wallace (Munster/Garryowen) {Shoulder}, Paul Wallace (Lenister/Blackrock College) {Shoulder}, Keith Wood (Harlequins) {Shoulder}.