Ireland Team To Play Australia

There are two changes to the Ireland team to play Australia this Saturday from the side that lost 21-11 to New Zealand in Wellington. Ireland coach Michael Bradley has promoted scrum half Peter Stringer and hooker Rory Best from the bench.

Peter Stringer gets the nod to start his first game for Ireland since the Georgia game in the Rugby World Cup last September.

Stringer, who will be extending his record as the most-capped Ireland scrum half by making his 84th appearance, was a replacement last time out against New Zealand and came on during the second half for Eoin Reddan.

Another replacement who saw game-time in the New Zealand game is also promoted to the starting line-up with hooker Rory Best selected to win his 24th cap.

IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Australia, Saturday, June 14, Telstra Stadium, Melbourne, kick-off 8.05pm local time/11.05am Irish time):

Player / Club / Caps

15 – Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 7
14 – Shane Horgan  (Boyne/Leinster) 62
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 84 (capt)
12 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 9
11 – Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 14
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 83
9 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 83
    
1 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 57
2 – Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 23
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 85
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 46
5 – Paul O’Connell  (Young Munster/Munster) 53
6 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 33
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 47
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster) 9

Replacements:

16 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 22
17 – Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster) 8
18 – Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 15
19 – Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 2
20 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 11
21 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 57
22 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 80