• Ireland v Wales, Six Nations, March 13

Murphy preferred to Kearney for Ireland

Scrum.com
March 9, 2010
Rob Kearney, who starred for the Lions last summer, has been left out by Declan Kidney © Getty Images
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Ireland coach Declan Kidney has kept faith with Leicester fullback Geordan Murphy for their Six Nations clash with Wales at Croke Park on Saturday, naming the fit-again Rob Kearney on the bench.

Kidney's other major selection conundrum came at fly-half, where Jonathan Sexton has again seen off competition from Ronan O'Gara to start.

Elsewhere the team is unchanged from the one that came away from Twickenham with a morale-boosting victory over England two weeks ago, with skipper Brian O'Driscoll set to win his 100th Ireland cap.

He partners Gordon D'Arcy in midfield , with Twickenham try-scorers Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls named alongside Murphy in the back-three. Kearney takes the place of Ulster's Andrew Trimble on the bench.

Up front, Donncha O'Callaghan will win his 60th cap in the second-row. Paul O'Connell starts alongside him while the impressive back-row of Stephen Ferris, David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip remains intact.

Ireland: G Murphy (Leicester); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster)

Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Buckley (Munster), L Cullen (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O'Gara (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster)

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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