80th cap for Hayes as Stringer warms the bench

John Hayes is set to win his 80th international cap on Saturday and if Peter Stringer is to match that milestone he will do so from the bench.

Stringer’s peformance against Eoin Reddan in Thomond Park was not deemed good enough to oust the Wasps number 9 from the starting XV and Stringer joins Munster colleagues Tony Buckley and Mick O’Driscoll on the replacements list.

Ireland: G Dempsey; A Trimble, B O’Driscoll capt, G D’Arcy, G Murphy; R O’Gara, E Reddan; M Horan, R Best, J Hayes; D O’Callaghan, M O’Kelly; S Easterby, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: B Jackman, T Buckley, M O’Driscoll, J Heaslip, P Stringer, P Wallace, R Kearney.