Irish Team to Face Tonga

Eight Munster Players have been included in the Ireland Team for their second Tour match, against Tonga in Nuku alofa on Saturday next (kick off 3.30am Irish time).

Eight Munster Players have been included in the Ireland Team for their second Tour match, against Tonga in Nuku alofa on Saturday next (kick off 3.30am Irish time).

The team shows 11 changes in personnel from that which started the Test against Australia in Perth last Saturday, backs Girvan Dempsey and John Kelly and front row forwards, Shane Byrne and Corrigan being the only survivors.

The seven Ireland replacements will be selected later in the week from a list of 10 players.

The Ireland team to play Tonga is:

15 Girvan Dempsey (Leinster Terenure College) 14 John Kelly (Munster Cork Constitution) 13 Mike Mullins (Munster Old Crescent) 12 Jonathan Bell (Ulster Dungannon) 11 Tyrone Howe (Ulster Ballymena) 10 Ronan O Gara (Munster Cork Constitution) 9 Guy Easterby (Llanelli)

1 Justin Fitzpatrick (Ulster Dungannon) 2 Shane Byrne (Leinster Blackrock College) 3 Reggie Corrigan (Leinster Greystones) Captain 4 Leo Cullen (Leinster Blackrock College) 5 Paul O Connell (Munster Young Munster) 6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 7 Kieron Dawson (London Irish) 8 Eric Miller (Leinster Terenure College)

Replacements: From Paul Shields (Ulster Ballymena), Emmet Byrne (Leinster St. Mary s College), Donnacha O Callaghan (Munster Cork Constitution), David Wallace (Munster Garryowen), Gordon Darcy (Leinster Lansdowne), Brian O Meara (Leinster Cork Constitution), Simon Best (Ulster Belfast Harlequins), Mark McHugh (Connacht – St. Mary s College), Marcus Horan (Munster Shannon), Anthony Horgan (Munster Cork Constitution).