The Irish team to play New Zealand on Saturday has six changes from the team that started last Saturday and opened the series with an emphatic win over the Canadians in Thomond Park, Limerick.
In 2 surpriise moves, Tomas O’Leary is selected to start his first Ireland international at scrumhalf and Girvan Dempsey comes into the team in the full-back position. Both Keith Earls and Eoin Reddan are dropped to the substitutes’ bench.
The other four changes are all in the front 8 with Rory Best and John Hayes starting at hooker and prop respectively following their introduction in the second half last week.
The backrow combination also sees changes with Munster Rugby’s Alan Quinlan and David Wallace, who were both scored tries after their second half introductions against Canada, starting on either side of the scrum.
The team will again be captained by Brian O’Driscoll which will be his 50th time starting in the role.
The full team line-up for the clash is as follows:
15 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster)
12 – Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster)
11 – Robert Kearney (Leinster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Munster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Munster)
1 – Marcus Horan (Munster)
2 – Rory Best (Ulster)
3 – John Hayes (Munster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Munster)
6 – Alan Quinlan (Munster)
7 – David Wallace (Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Jerry Flannery (Munster)
17 – Tony Buckley (Munster)
18 – Stephen Ferris (Ulster)
19 – Shane Jennings (Leinster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
21 – Paddy Wallace (Ulster)
22 – Keith Earls (Munster)
