Ireland Make One Change For Wales
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has made one change to the team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (kick-off 2.30pm).
Jamie Heaslip returns to the side after missing the England game due to a back injury, with Jordi Murphy reverting to the replacements bench.
Paul O’Connell will captain the side and win his 100th Ireland cap in the Welsh capital, lining out alongside second row partner Devin Toner.
O’Connell, who will be featuring in his 50th RBS 6 Nations game, is Irish rugby’s fourth centurion. He is following in the footsteps of his former team-mates John Hayes (105), Ronan O’Gara (128) and Brian O’Driscoll (133).
The selected front row is again made up of Jack McGrath, Mike Ross and Rory Best, while the returning Heaslip is joined in the back row by Peter O’Mahony and Sean O’Brien.
The back-line is unchanged with Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton, who will win his 50th Ireland cap, paired at half-back once more and the combination of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne links up again in midfield. Rob Kearney is joined in the back-three by Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo.
Tommy O’Donnell is replaced on the bench by Murphy with the remainder of the replacements unchanged – Sean Cronin, Martin Moore, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan and Felix Jones.
Prop Healy will win his 50th cap for Ireland if he is introduced off the bench at the Millennium Stadium.
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, 2015 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Saturday, March 14, kick-off 2.30pm):
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
13. Jared Payne (Ulster)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
11. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
10. Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
18. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster)
19. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
20. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
23. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)