Ireland Team To Play Italy
The Ulster players involved in the Ireland Squad are: 2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
& in the O2 Woldhounds: Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster), Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster), Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
Nigel Brady (Dungannon – Ulster), Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch – Ulster),
Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon – Ulster), Chris Henry (Ballymena – Ulster)
Full squad details for both teams below:
The Ireland team to play Italy in Rome this Saturday in the opening game of the 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship contains one new cap and nine changes to the side from the game against Argentina last November.
Fergus McFadden will win his first cap for Ireland and is selected on the right wing and will play in a new combination back three with Keith Earls picked on the left wing and Luke Fitzgerald being chosen at full back for Ireland for the first time. The final change to the backline sees Tomas O’Leary come into the scrumhalf position after missing all of the Guinness Series in November due to injury.
In the pack, Rory Best returns to the side at hooker with Mike Ross earning his first start in the championship at tight head prop. Paul O’Connell is another who returns to the team to earn his 71st cap in the second row.
The back row is also a new combination at international level with Denis Leamy selected alongside David Wallace and Sean O’Brien, who earns his first RBS 6 Nations start for Ireland.
Ireland Team (to play Italy, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Stadio Flaminio, Rome on Saturday, February 5th, 15:30)
15 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 – Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
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 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Squad Named
A twenty two man O2 Ireland Wolfounds Squad to play the England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday has been named.
The starting XV will be announced by the Wolfhounds Coaches at a press conference in Belfast on Wednesday.
Prop Tony Buckley is ruled out after picking up an injury in the game against Scotland ‘A’ last week.
Declan Fitzpatrick is named in the squad in place of Buckley. Mike McCarthy is also named in the squad while Paul Marshall, Ian Keatley and David Kearney have also been called up.
Tickets for the game against the Saxons are on sale from www.ulsterrugby.com
O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Squad (v England Saxons, Friday, Februray 4th, Ravenhill, 19:30)
Backs (10) –
Isaac Boss (Terenure College – Leinster)
Fionn Carr (Galwegians- Connacht)
Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Ian Keatley (Galwegians- Connacht)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)
Johne Murphy (Young Munster – Munster)
Eoin O’Malley (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
Forwards (12) –
Nigel Brady (Dungannon – Ulster)
Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon – Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Corinthians – Connacht)
Chris Henry (Ballymena – Ulster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers – Connacht)
Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
Damien Varley (Garryowen – Munster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians – Connacht)
