Ireland Team Named

The Ireland team to face Wales this Saturday in the opening game of the RBS 6 Nations at the Millennium Stadium has been named, ko 1.30pm.

Donnacha Ryan is named alongside Mike McCarthy as they form a new Championship starting second row partnership.

Peter O'Mahony starts in the backrow alongside Captain Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien.

In the backline Conor Murray and Simon Zebo are both named while David Kilcoyne, Donncha O'Callaghan, Ronan O'Gara and Keith Earls are named in the replacements.

Ireland Squad:

15 – Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster/41)
14 – Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster/1)
13 – Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster/120)
12 – Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster/71)
11 – Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster/3)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster/34)
9 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster/14)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster/35)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster/62)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster/24)
4 – Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht/6)
5 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster/23)
6 – Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster/9)
7 – Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster/22)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster/52) Captain

Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster/23)
17 – David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster/2)
18 – Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster/2)
19 – Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster/91)
20 – Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster/4)
21 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster/47)
22 – Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster/126)
23 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster/34)