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Ireland Team To Play Scotland

The Ireland team to play Scotland in their first Rugby World Cup warm-up match on Saturday has been named. Leinster lock Leo Cullen will captain his country for the first time at Test level.

Leo Cullen will lead an Ireland side that contains two uncapped players in the 22-man matchday squad.

Connacht’s Mike McCarthy starts the game at blindside flanker in his first Test match appearance, while the other uncapped player, Felix Jones from Munster, has been named amongst the replacements.

Rob Kearney returns at full-back for the first time since last November’s GUINNESS Series, having recovered from a knee injury.

Fergus McFadden and Paddy Wallace will form a new-look centre partnership, with Andrew Trimble and Luke Fitzgerald named on the wings.

Tom Court, Sean Cronin and Tony Buckley will pack down in the front row, and Cullen is joined in the engine room by Donnacha Ryan.

New cap McCarthy will have plenty of experience alongside him in the back row – the 50-times capped Denis Leamy starts at number 8 and Niall Ronan will line out at openside flanker.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Scotland, 2011 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up Test, Murrayfield, Saturday, August 6, kick-off 2.15pm):

15 – Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
13 – Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
12 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
11 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
2 – Sean Cronin (Leinster)
3 – Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks)
4 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
5 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster) (capt)
6 – Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht) *
7 – Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
8 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Replacements:

16 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
17 – Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
18 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
19 – Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
21 – Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
22 – Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster) *