New Zealand Maori v Ireland, Rotorua, June 18
Murphy to lead Ireland against Maori
Scrum.com
June 15, 2010
Ireland's Geordan Murphy is tackled by the New Zealand defence, New Zealand v Ireland, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, New Zealand, June 12, 2010
Fullback Geordan Murphy is set to captain his country for the first time against the New Zealand Maori on Fridya night © Getty Images
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Teams: Ireland | New Zealand

Long-serving fullback Geordan Murphy will captain Ireland against New Zealand Maori in the centenary fixture at Rotorua International Stadium on Friday evening.

It is the first time Murphy, who gained his 67th Ireland cap when coming on as a substitute during Saturday's loss to New Zealand, has led the side. Among other changes, Rhys Ruddock will play on the blindside of the scrum alongside Niall Ronan and another uncapped player, Chris Henry, who will play at number eight.

Shane Horgan will play on the right wing with Gavin Duffy and Paddy Wallace paired in the centres and Johne Murphy on the left wing. The half-back combination will see Eoin Reddan at scrum-half and Jonathan Sexton at fly-half. A new front-row combination has also been named, with Marcus Horan and Tom Court propping the scrum on either side of hooker John Fogarty.

Ireland team to face New Zealand Maori:
Geordan Murphy (captain); Shane Horgan, Gavin Duffy, Paddy Wallace, Johne Murphy; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Marcus Horan, John Fogarty, Tom Court, Ed O'Donoghue, Dan Tuohy, Rhys Ruddock, Niall Ronan, Chris Henry.

Replacements: Sean Cronin, John Hayes, Donncha O'Callaghan, David Wallace, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, Rob Kearney.

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