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Ireland Team To Play Wales

The Ireland team to play Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium (kick-off 5pm) has been named.

Head coach Declan Kidney has named an unchanged starting line-up for Ireland’s fourth game of the 2011 Championship.

The replacements bench also remains the same from the recent 21-18 win over Scotland, with Leo Cullen recovering from a slight groin problem.

Flanker David Wallace will win his 70th cap when he lines out alongside Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien in the back row. It will also be his 40th appearance in the Championship.

Speaking today, Kidney said: “Everything points to there not being a lot being between ourselves and Wales. We’ve a huge game ahead of us.

“Going to Cardiff, depending on what era you’re from, it was always a daunting task at Cardiff Arms Park. Myself, I was more JPR Williams and Barry John’s time and you always knew it was going to be a tough game at the Cardiff Arms.

“When we played them at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, there was literally that one kick of the ball between the sides.

“These lads play each other three times a year – at least twice in the domestic league and then at this level – and the fact that they know each other so well, space is going to be at a premium.

“It will be one of those games that whoever takes their chances will come out on top.”

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Millennium Stadium, Saturday, March 12, kick-off 5pm):

15 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)