Quinlan, Murphy Included in Ireland Starting XV

Alan Quinlan makes a welcome return to the Ireland side for the second Test against Argentina in the Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires on Saturday (KO 8.10pm Irish time) while his Munster teammate Barry Murphy makes the senior starting XV for the first time.

Murphy came on as a later replacement in Santa Fe to win his first cap but gets to start on Saturday and will have the comforting presence of another Munster colleague, Brian Carney, outside him.

Up front Mick O’Driscoll is joined by Frank Sheahan while Tony Buckley and Kieran Lewis are named on the bench.

For Quinlan however, selection has to be particularly pleasing having missed most of last through injury and missed out on this season’s RBS Six Nations when he was suspended following Munster’s Heineken Cup game against Cardiff Blues in Thomond Park.

His response to that setback was to come back stronger than ever for Munster in the closing stages of the season and fully merit his inclusion in the squad to Argentina and the starting XV on Saturday.

Overall Eddie O’Sullivan and Niall O’Driscoll make 12 changes, one positional switch, to the side that started last weekend.  Geordan Murphy moves from the bench to start at full back with Gavin Duffy – impressive at 15 that day – partnering Barry Murphy in the centre in place of Lewis.  
A knee injury sustained in Sata Fe rules Paddy Wallace out and the hastily summoned Jeremy Staunton takes over the number 10 jersey which arguably the most improved scrum-half this season, Eoin Reddan will partner his London Wasps colleague at half-back.
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Up front, where the battle of Velez Sarsfield is likely to be decided, Frank Sheahan is the only change in the front row but it’s all change behind him with Leo Cullen joining Mick O’Driscoll in the second row and the veteran Quinlan joined in the backrow by Stephen Ferris and debutante Shane Jennings.

Ireland: G Murphy; B Carney, B Murphy, G Duffy, R Kearney; J Staunton, E Reddan; B Young F Sheahan, S Best capt; L Cullen, M O’Driscoll; A Quinlan, S Jennings, S Ferris. Replacements: B Jackman, T Buckley, M O’Kelly, N Best, I Boss, K Lewis, L Fitzgerald.

Meanwhile Marcelo Loffreda must plan without the Biarritz backs pair of Marcelo Bosch and Martin Gaitan and lock Manuel Carizza. The Puma coach had included the trio in his second test squad but their club Biarritz have reached the French championship semi-finals and they will be needed this weekend.

Loffreda had also planned to leave out first test try scorer Hernan Senillosa but  in view of the loss of Gaitan, Senillosa remains in the squad for Saturday.

Montpellier flyhalf Federico Todeschini, who scored 22 points in Argentina’s 25-18 victory over England at Twickenham last November, is available and he will occupy the number 10 slot in place of last weekend’s match winner, Felipe Contepomi.

Argentina Squad:

(Forwards): Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Martin Durand, Martin Schusterman, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Pablo Bouza, Eusebio Guinazu, Esteban Lozada, Rimas Alvarez, Pablo Gambarini, Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, Marcos Ayerza, Pablo Henn

(Backs): Federico Serra, Horacio Agulla, Tomas de Vedia, Francisco Leonelli, Manuel Contepomi, Hernan Senillosa, Federico Todeschini, Juan Fernandez Miranda, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Nicolas Vergallo.