Harlequins prop Mike Ross will start for Ireland against the USA © Getty Images

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Match Pack: Ireland labour past Canada

Reaction: Kidney admits there is work to do

Matches: United States of America 10 - 27 Ireland

Players/Officials: Declan Kidney

Teams: Ireland

Ireland have made one change for Sunday's Test against the USA in Santa Clara with prop Mike Ross promoted to the starting line-up.

Ross, the Harlequins front row, won his first cap from the bench in Saturday's laboured 25-6 victory over Canada at Vancouver's Thunderbird Stadium. To accommodate Ross, Tony Buckley is shifted to loosehead with Tom Court relegated to the bench for the final match of Ireland's senior tour.

Munster lock Mick O'Driscoll starts after recovering from the wrist strain he sustained against Canada but Leinster's Devin Toner has been called up as cover as a precautionary measure. Toner, who was named in the Churchill Cup party, will link-up with the squad today along with Ireland's backs coach Alan Gaffney.

Ireland coach Coach Declan Kidney said, "We felt after Canada that the players who started deserved another chance to improve on that performance. We thought long and hard about making further changes to the side but with only two full training sessions under their belts before the Canada game, we decided it would be better to give an opportunity for the same players and combinations to find their feet."

Ulster hooker Rory Best, who leads the side once again, has also called for an improvement. Best said, "We need to lift our levels from the Canada game if we want to put in a performance that can put us in a position to win. There was a little lack of cohesion in Vancouver which was possibly down to the number of new combinations and the eight new caps we had."

The game will be former Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan's first match at the helm of the USA Eagles.

"It is great to be back coaching at international level again and I'm looking forward to the challenge immensely," he said. "It is also an honor to face Ireland in my first test as Eagles Head Coach. It will be a little strange to face off against a team that I know so well, but at the same time for me that will make the occasion even more special."

O'Sullivan named his squad following his first training camp with the domestic players earlier this month and subsequently trimmed it down for their season opener.

Leeds Carnegie prop Mike MacDonald will pack down in the front row while fellow 2007 Rugby World Cup squad members John Van der Giessen and Louis Stanfill also return to lead the locks and loose forwards, respectively.

New York Athletic Club's Mike Petri will lead the side from scrum-half and will partner fly-half Mike Hercus. Fullback Chris Wyles also returns to give the Eagles' back line a threatening edge.

"With seven games ahead in as many weeks there is no doubt that the depth of our playing pool will be tested to the limit. Ireland is the first step on the road and judging by the energy and intensity displayed at our Denver training camp last weekend, the players are fired up for our first test of the season."

USA: Chris Wyles (Saracens), Justin Boyd (Dallas Harlequins), Junior Sifa (Middleton), Roland Suniula (Pearl City), Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach), Mike Hercus (Sunshine Coast Stingrays), Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club, captain), Mike MacDonald (Leeds Carnegie), Chris Biller (California), Will Johnson (Oxford University), John Van Der Giessen (Denver Barbarians), Hayden Smith (Saracens), Louis Stanfill (New York Athletic Club), Peter Dahl (Belmont Shore), Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians)

Replacements: Joe Welch (Belmont Shore), Matekitonga Moeakiola (Park City Haggis), Courtney Mackay (Counties Manukau), J.J. Gagiani (Univ. of Cape Town), Tim Usasz (Nottingham), Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore), Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)

Ireland: G Duffy (Connacht); B Murphy (Munster), D Cave (Ulster), I Whitten (Ulster), I Dowling (Munster); I Keatley (Connacht) P Stringer (Munster); T Buckley (Munster), R Best (Ulster, captain), M Ross (Harlequins), B Casey (London Irish), M O'Driscoll (Munster), J Muldoon (Connacht), N Ronan (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).

Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), R Caldwell (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps), N O'Connor (Ulster), D Hurley (Munster).