O’Sullivan Keeps Faith For France Trip
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has named an unchanged side for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France at the Stade de France (kick-off 1.30pm). The Irish squad travel to Paris on Thursday.
…Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll at Tuesday’s training session at St. Gerard’s School in Bray, County Wicklow…
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has named an unchanged side for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France at the Stade de France (kick-off 1.30pm). The Irish squad travel to France on Thursday.
The replacements bench is also unchanged from last weekend’s 26-16 win over Italy at Lansdowne Road.
The team will be captained by Brian O’Driscoll for the 24th time as he wins his 61st cap for his country. Centre O’Driscoll sat out Tuesday’s training session at St. Gerard’s School due to a dead leg but he will be fit for the Stade de France duel.
The game will be a notable one for Bruff and Munster star John Hayes – he will become Ireland’s most-capped prop on the occasion of his 59th appearance in green. Dubliner Phil Orr held the record since 1987. Orr’s 58th and final cap for Ireland came in the 33-15 World Cup defeat loss to Australia that year.
The Ireland team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at the Stade de France on Saturday, February 11 (kick-off 1.30pm (GMT)) is as follows:
Player / Club / Caps:
15. Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 35
14. Shane Horgan (Lansdowne / Leinster) 41
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Blackrock College / Leinster) 60 (CAPTAIN)
12. Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne / Leinster) 16
11. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 7
10. Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution / Munster) 56
9. Peter Stringer (Shannon / Munster) 62
1. Marcus Horan (Shannon / Munster) 34
2. Jerry Flannery (Shannon / Munster) 2
3. John Hayes (Bruff / Munster) 58
4. Malcolm O’Kelly (St. Mary’s College / Leinster) 76
5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster / Munster) 30
6. Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets) 45
7. David Wallace (Garryowen / Munster) 23
8. Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution / Munster) 7
Replacements:
16. Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 2
17. Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 10
18. Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution / Munster) 20
19. Johnny O’Connor (Wasps) 10
20. Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 0
21. David Humphreys (Dungannon / Ulster) 72
22. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena / Ulster) 2
Not considered due to injury:
Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution / Munster)
Alan Quinlan (Shannon / Munster)
Robert Kearney (UCD / Leinster)
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