Ireland v Russia, Rugby World Cup, September 25
Russia shuffle pack for Ireland clash
ESPNscrum Staff
September 23, 2011
Russia's Vasily Artemyev charges through a tackle, Canada v Russia, Churchill Cup, The Rugby Ground, Esher, England, June 8, 2011
Artemyev shifts to fullback for the clash © PA Photos
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Players/Officials: Vasily Artemyev
Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup
Teams: Russia

Russia have made eight changes for Sunday's World Cup Pool C clash with Ireland in Rotorua following their 53-17 thumping by Italy.

The youngest player in Russia's squad, Denis Simplikevich, will make his Test debut on the right wing, becoming the seventh player to take his international bow in the tournament. The winger impressed during the 2010 and 2011 Junior World Championships and he is one of eight changes for this weekend's clash. Russia have a new front-row with hooker Valery Tsnobiliadze and prop Alexander Khrokin making their first starts of the tournament.

In the second-row, Denis Antonov partners the Melbourne Rebels' Adam Byrnes. Alexander Yanyushkin will lead from scrum-half with Vasily Artemyev shifting to fullback. The side selected to face Ireland has 110 less caps than the team that started against Italy.

Russia: V Artemyev; D Simplikevich, A Kuzin, S Trishin, V Ostroushko; K Rachkov, A Yanyushkin (capt); S Popov, V Tsnobiladze, A Khrokin, D Antonov, A Byrnes, A Fatakhov, A Garbuzov, V Gresev

Replacements: E Matveev, I Prishchepenko, A Travkin, A Voytov, A Bykanov, M Sidorov, M Babaev

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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