Ireland Squad Named For Wales Clash

The Ireland team to play Wales in Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations Championship on Saturday has been named with six Munster players included.

There are two changes to the starting XV from the Scotland game and one uncapped player included in the replacements.

In the back-row Peter O’Mahony comes in for Caelan Doris, who was injured in the early minutes of the game last Saturday. CJ Stander reverts to No. 8 with Josh van der Flier named at openside.

Iain Henderson and James Ryan start in the second row and the front row is unchanged with Cian Healy, Rob Herring and Tadhg Furlong all named.

Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton will both reach significant milestones this weekend with the scrumhalf set to win his 80th and the captain winning his 90th cap.

The hand injury picked up by Garry Ringrose means that Robbie Henshaw will partner Bundee Aki in the centre.

The back three of Jacob Stockdale, Andrew Conway and Jordan Larmour is also unchanged.

The uncapped Max Deegan is inlcuded in the replacements which also sees the return of Keith Earls.

Ronan Kelleher, who won his first cap off the bench against Scotland, is named alongside Andrew Porter and Dave Kilcoyne, subject to him completing his Return To Play protocols this week.

Devin Toner, John Cooney and Ross Byrne complete the 23.

IRELAND

Player/Club/Province/Caps –

15 Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 22 caps

14 Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 19 caps

13 Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 41 caps

12 Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 24 caps

11 Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 26 caps

10 Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 89 caps Captain

9 Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 79 caps

1 Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 96 caps

2 Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 9 caps

3 Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 42 caps

4 Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 54 caps

5 James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps

6 Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 65 caps

7 Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps

8 CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 38 caps

Replacements:

16 Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 1 cap

17 Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 37 caps

18 Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 24 caps

19 Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 68 caps

20 Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps

21 John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 9 caps

22 Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 4 caps

23 Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 82 caps