Ireland Unchanged For Twickenham Trip

Eddie O’Sullivan has named an unchanged starting XV for the Triple Crown clash with England on Saturday. Johnny O’Connor returns to the bench having been passed fit to play.

…The Ireland team, which will take on England on Saturday, lines out before the anthems against Scotland last weekend…

Eddie O’Sullivan has named an unchanged starting XV for the Triple Crown clash with England on Saturday (Twickenham, kick-off 5.30pm). Johnny O’Connor returns to the bench having been passed fit to play.

Wasps flanker O’Connor, who suffered a groin injury in training before the Scotland game, returns to the bench in place of Munster’s Mick O’Driscoll, who deputised last weekend. O’Driscoll will captain the Ireland ‘A’ side in Friday night’s international against England ‘A’ at Gloucester.

The Ireland team will be captained by Leinster centre Brian O’Driscoll for the 27th time on Saturday.

…Ireland lock Paul O’Connell comes off the Lansdowne Road pitch after making a successful return from a shoulder injury last weekend…

IRELAND TEAM (v ENGLAND, Twickenham, Saturday, March 18, kick-off 5.30pm):

15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 38
14 – Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 44
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (Captain) (Blackrock College/Leinster) 63
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19
11 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 5
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 59
9 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 65
1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 36
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 5
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 61
4 – Malcolm O’Kelly (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 79
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 32
6 – Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 48
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 26
8 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 10

Replacements:

16 – Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 3
17 – Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12
18 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 23
19 – Johnny O’Connor (Wasps) 11
20 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 1
21 – David Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster) 72
22 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 62