The Ireland team and replacements for the Rugby World Cup Pool C match against Australia at Eden Park on Saturday (KO 9.30am) has been announced. There are four changes to the side that beat the USA.
Up front Cian Healy returns to the starting line-up at loosehead prop, having recovered from an eye injury with Ulster’s Tom Court dropping to the bench. Court is likely to see plenty of game time against his homeland with Healy likely to go off injured or carded through just too much excitement on making his World Cup debut!
Fellow Rugby World Cup debutant Sean O’Brien makes his long awaited return slotting in at 7 alongside Ulster’s Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip to give a hard running back row but one that David Pocock is, probably, not loosing too much sleep about though Quade Cooper may be developing a nervous twitch!
As expected Eoin Reddan will start at scrum half, partnering his provincial colleague Jonathan Sexton, and Rob Kearney is set for his first start of the tournament at full-back. Unfortunately D’Arcy continues in the centre keeping Ulster’s Andrew Trimble out of the starting 15 and I’m surprised that Kidney has not taken the oportunity of this gimmie match to look at alternatives for the out of form centre.
If Australia race into an early lead it is likely that we will see O’Driscoll moved inside and Bowe or Trimble played at 13 or alternatively Sexton to be bumped out one with O’Gara coming on at out half.
Every dog has his day, and of course Ireland have a chance. However I just don’t think that we have the resources to play two really big games against Southern Hemisphere sides so I’d rather we just kept our powder dry and tried out a few combinations against to pclass opposition.
Speaking of which the Aussies name their side on today and here it is.
| AUSTRALIA | IRELAND | |
| Kurtley Beale | 15 | Rob Kearney (Leinster) * |
| James O’Connor | 14 | Tommy Bowe (Ospreys) |
| Anthony Fainga’a | 13 | Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster) (capt) |
| Pat McCabe | 12 | Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster) |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper | 11 | Keith Earls (Munster) |
| Quade Cooper | 10 | Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) |
| Will Genia | 9 | Eoin Reddan (Leinster) |
| Sekope Kepu | 1 | Cian Healy (Leinster) * |
| Stephen Moore | 2 | Rory Best (Ulster) |
| Ben Alexander | 3 | Mike Ross (Leinster) |
| Dan Vickerman | 4 | Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster) |
| James Horwill | 5 | Paul O’Connell (Munster) |
| Rocky Elsom | 6 | Stephen Ferris (Ulster) |
| David Pocock | 7 | Sean O’Brien (Leinster) * |
| Radike Samo | 8 | Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) |
| Tatafu Polota-Nau | 16 |
Sean Cronin
|
| James Slipper | 17 | Tom Court (Ulster) |
| Rob Simmons | 18 | Donnacha Ryan (Munster) * |
| Ben McCalman | 19 | Denis Leamy (Munster) |
| Scott Higginbotham | 20 | Conor Murray (Munster) |
| Luke Burgess | 21 | Ronan O’Gara (Munster) |
| Drew Mitchell | 22 | Andrew Trimble (Ulster) |
Looking at the head to heads sort of puts the enormity of Ireland’s task into perspective. It’s not that individually the Australians are such better players but more so that they are a collection of players at the top of their game whereas so many of Ireland’s players need their game of the last few seasons to even compete.
The team selections are not without a touch of irony with “Superstar” wannabe Keith Earls up against a young man destined to be a genuine superstar without having to ask, in young James O’Connor.
The thought of 21 year old O’Connor, who fell from grace and was dropped for a game when he slept in and missed a team meeting during the Tri Nations, running at Earls is perhaps Ireland’s biggest worry. So here you go Keith , it’s your big chance! To infinity and beyond!
More like this:
3 Responses to “RWC 2011: Ireland v Australia”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Are Earls and D’arcy, Declan Kidney’s secret love children or what!!! I know that our Andy normally plays on the other wing but surely he offers much more defensively and offensively than Earls. And as for D’arcy where do you want me to start! Very disappointed in the ‘backs’ selection but then again it may be a cunning plan as I would much rather face South Africa in the quarters going on their last outing.
Rate this comment. Like or dislike?
6 
0
Andy T was the best ireland player throughout the whole of the WC warm up games … the rest couldn’t hold onto the ball at times.
I don’t see why he isn’t starting … though maybe last week he was being saved for the aussie game but obv not
Rate this comment. Like or dislike?
2 
0
Anyone who thought D’Arcy was going to be dropped is living with the Cuckcoos Kidney has never picked D’Arcy for his attacking play but due to the fact that he and BoD play well together as a defensive mid field.
Earls over Trimble is strange unless Trimble can only play on the same wing as Bowe but it doesn’t really wash well . Maybe Kidney only wants a selfish aggressive git on the wing if so he has got one.
Rate this comment. Like or dislike?
0 
3