Ireland add another String to their bow
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:56
Ireland stand-in coach Michael Bradley has selected veteran scrumhalf Peter Stringer in the starting XV to face Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.
Coach Bradley has made two changes from the team that lost to New Zealand in Wellington last Saturday, bringing in Stringer and hooker Rory Best into the starting line-up.
Stringer replaces Eion Reddan at No.9 while Rory Best replaces Jerry Flannery at hooker.
Stringer will earn his 84th cap for Ireland against the Aussies. Flannery and Reddan are included on the reserves bench for the Irish team.
Loose forward Alan Quinlan and young center Luke Fitzgerald, who both missed the Wellington Test because of injury, again were not considered for selection.
Paddy Wallace, who took Fitzgerald's place and scored a try against New Zealand, has been retained in a midfield combination with captain Brian O'Driscoll.
Ireland: 15 Robert Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13
Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Rory Best, 1 Marcus Horan.
Reserves: 16 Jerry Flannery, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Mick O'Driscoll, 19 Shane Jennings, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Geordan Murphy, 22 Girvan Dempsey.
Date: Saturday, June 14
Venue: Telstra Stadium, Melbourne
Kick-off: 19.30 (09.30 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
SAPA
