O’Connell, O’Kelly To Play Against Scotland

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.

…Paul O’Connell at Ireland squad training earlier this week…

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