SIX NATIONS: Ireland coach Declan Kidney has kept faith with the Ireland team that defeated France 30-21 at Croke Park last weekend and named an unchanged side ahead of their second Six Nations assignment against Italy in Rome this Sunday.
Paddy Wallace and Jerry Flannery have been passed fit after they picked up injuries in the France game and take up their respective positions at centre and hooker.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll will earn his 90th cap in Italy game and prop John Hayes and will join Malcolm O’Kelly, who starts from the bench, as Ireland’s most capped player with 91.
Ireland’s opening win in the championship was their first over France in six years. Wallace was believed to be a concern after picking up an eye injury last weekend and had to be replaced by Gordon D’Arcy.
But Kidney has kept with the same starting line-up which means D’Arcy will have to take his chance from the bench once more. The Leinster player deputised well for Wallace and scored Ireland’s last of three tries against France.
Flannery has recovered from the shoulder 'stinger' which meant he had to be replaced 10 minutes into the second half and keeps his place ahead of Rory Best.
“We talked long and hard about whether we would alternate things,” Kidney explained. “We put a good bit of thought into it, not so much as a negative reflection on how the lads played last Saturday, just the fact we’re in a tournament.
“We’ve a stated objection of trying to build a squad since the start of the season, but on the balance of everything I felt it was best to go with the team the way it was because it had done well.”
Announcing the team today, Kidney went to great pains to play up Italy’s good points, even if Nick Mallett’s men are coming off the back of a 36-11 defeat to England.
“As the game against England went on, they got stronger and stronger,” stressed the coach.
“A stat came up on the television regarding the number of caps that they have. The front row average somewhere in the region of 60 caps a man, there are 40 in the second row, 40 in the back row and 30 odd in the backs.
“That showed throughout the game because if teams are young and inexperienced in the first 20 minutes, it might go like that and they just don’t know what to do. This was a team of experienced men who knew how to garner their resources, how to become far more resilient and got scores in the second half.
“They tightened up and when Italy tighten up you just look at the possession stakes.”
The Ireland A team to play Scotland A this Friday night in the RDS shows two changes to the squad that was due to play England Saxons in the recently cancelled game.
Donnacha Ryan starts at blindside flanker with Ulster’s Ed O’Donoghue coming into the replacements. Isaac Boss has recovered from illness and is also among the replacements instead of Chris Keane. Bob Casey will captain the side.
Kick-off in Rome on Sunday is 2.30pm Irish time and Friday night's game at the RDS has a 7.35pm start.
Ireland team (v Italy):R Kearney, T Bowe, B O'Driscoll (C), P Wallace, L Fitzgerald, R O'Gara, T O'Leary, M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, S Ferris, D Wallace, J Heaslip (Naas — Leinster) Replacements: R Best, T Court, M O'Kelly, D Leamy, P Stringer, G D'Arcy, G Murphy
Ireland 'A' team (v Scotland 'A'):G Duffy, A Trimble, D Cave, K Matthews, M McCrea, J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, S Cronin, M Ross, B Casey (C), R Caldwell, D Ryan, S Jennings, J Muldoon. Replacements:J Fogarty; J Andress; E O'Donoghue; S O'Brien; I Boss; I Humphreys; B Murphy
