The Ireland team to play Wales in the Quarter Final of the Rugby World Cup this Saturday has been named.
Hooker Rory Best is continuing to receive treatment on his shoulder. Should he fail to recover in time Sean Cronin will start alongside Cian Healy and Mike Ross with Damien Varley coming into the replacements.
Donncha O’Callaghan will win his 80th cap for Ireland joining Paul O’Connell who won his 80th earlier in the tournament against Australia.
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, 2011 Rugby World Cup Quarter Final, Westpac Stadium, Saturday, October 8, kick-off 6:00pm local time/6:00am Irish time):
15 – Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)/Sean Cronin (Leinster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Leinster)/Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
N.B. All player biographies are available on the Irish Rugby website www.irishrugby.ie
