Ireland Team for Wales.

The Ireland team to play Wales in the RBS 6 Nations Championship game at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, March 12th has been named.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named an unchanged starting XV and replacements bench for Ireland’s fourth game of the Championship.
Ireland flanker David Wallace will win his 70th cap when he lines out alongside Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien in the back row. It will also be his 40th appearance in the Championship.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Millennium Stadium, Sunday, March 12, kick-off 5.00pm):

15 – Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
22 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

So there we go – the least eagerly anticipated Irish squad announcement in recent times. Really don’t know what they are playing at this Six Nations.

Ireland just do not have the physical presence to compete up front at the higher levels of world rugby. Sure they can pull out a big physical effort now and again as they did against France and will probably try and do it again against England but on the whole they just do not have the power or the physical presence to do it continually.

Ireland really should have been trying to develop a faster paced, less contact, type of game where the genuine class in the backs is optimised and not used as an afterthought when the territorial game comes crashing down around our ears.

For all his splendid qualities on the rugby pitch O’Gara is not the player to spark this kind of revolution but then again David Wallace, O’Callaghan, O’Connell and D’Arcy are not suited either through age or the type of game they are comfortable with. Every pack needs a bit of dog in it so O’Connell, the consummate warrior, may be excused on that account but I really struggle to see why the rest are continually selected so close to the World Cup.

So, who should replace them? Well Cullen is a better option than O’Callaghan at the minute with Tuohy a viable option once fit. The totally untried Faloon is the natural successor to Wallace but even Leamy could take the Six spot till Ferris recovers with O’Brien, the stand out forward this series, having a big enough game for seven.

The failure to continue with Sexton at out half and to build the game round his qualities is quite simply astounding in my opinion – I just can’t say any more.

Paddy Wallace, McFadden, Earls,  even late arrival, Nevin Spence were worth a sustained look as O’Driscoll’s partner in the centre, all look more creative than D’Arcy at the minute and surely even he can’t re-invent himself for a third time.

Irrespective of D’Arcy’s current form, the one thing that amazes me throughout the last couple of seasons is why no-one, with the exception of D’Arcy and O’Driscoll, have been given any sort of  run of competitive games in the centre. What are we going to do should O’Driscoll get injured prior to the World Cup? Maybe we just shouldn’t turn up!

More like this:

• Ireland team for Scotland.
• Braveheart Part 3: Scotland 18 Ireland 21
• Ireland Squad for Six Nations
• Lock Stock and One Smoking Barrel Part 3: Ireland Savage England.