Ireland coach Declan Kidney has announced a strong line up to play the Springboks in the first match at the AVIVA Stadium which is basically the rebuilt Landsdowne Road.Brian O’ Driscoll has overcome injury and is named to start at outside centre where he is likely to be a big threat to a probable inexperienced Bok midfield owing to injuries to various South African centres. Winger Luke Fitzgerald comes back into the side for the first time in 12 months to make up a back three who all played for the British and Irish Lions last year along with Rob Kearney and Tommy Bowe.
A strong Irish pack is however missing the 2009 Lions captain Paul O’ Connell but still have a formidable look about them especially the loose forward trio of Ferris, Wallace and Heaslip which will test another area of concern for the Boks.
This is a very good Ireland team and will provide a very stern test for the Boks in their first match of their tour.
Ireland:
15 Robert Kearney
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Brian O’Driscoll (c)
12 Gordon D’Arcy
11 Luke Fitzgerald
10 Jonathan Sexton
9 Eoin Reddan
8 Jamie Heaslip
7 David Wallace
6 Stephen Ferris
5 Mick O’Driscoll
4 Donncha O’Callaghan
3 Tony Buckley
2 Rory Best
1 Cian Healy.
Replacements:
16 Sean Cronin
17 Tom Court
18 Donnacha Ryan
19 Denis Leamy
20 Peter Stringer
21 Ronan O’Gara
22 Keith Earls.
Date: Saturday, November 6
Venue: Aviva Stadium
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Brice Lawrence (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
This is going to be a cracker game!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 1) : Well, I hope so because that would mean the Boks would have to play well too.
Strong mid field. . . Gonna be interesting!
We are going to get pumped.GO BOKKE!!
Could go pear shaped for the Boks. Usually does against the Irish lately.
Okay let me be the first to say this, we are heading for a hiding here.
Ireland by no less than 8
@Morné (Comment 6) : Does that mean the Boks will win?
@war1 (Comment 7) :
Hehe, I was thinking about this…
Just about the only call I got right this year was the Super 14 final.
Tri-Nations – too many wrong to count
Varsity Cup – wrong
Club Champs – wrong
CC – wrong…
I think I am going to give up…
Mind you, on SuperBru I always average in the 80% region…
@Morné (Comment 8) : Well, for the record I agree with you. So many factors mean this Bok squad will be unsettled for this game and the Irish will be too strong for us, would love to be wrong though.
@Morné (Comment 6) : Thanks Morne…Boks by 10 hehehe
Where is robbie diack guys?
@Ben (Comment 11) : Think he qualifies next year
Why did the make the one end of the stadium so low?
England side to face New Zealand: 15 Ben Foden; 14 Chris Ashton,13 Mike Tindall, 12 Shontayne Hape, 11 Mark Cueto; 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Andrew Sheridan, 2 Steve Thompson, 3 Dan Cole; 4 Courtney Lawes, 5 Tom Palmer; 6 Tom Croft, 7 Lewis Moody (Capt), 8 Nick Easter
Replacements: 16 Dylan Harltey, 17 David Wilson, 18 David Attwood, 19 Hendrie Fourie, 20 Danny Care, 21 Charlie Hodgson, 22 Delon Armitage
God save the Queen!
Good ireland team…i just hope Alberts can play at least 20 min on Sat. I love kanko, but it would be a lot better to have a 115 kg bloke come off the bench when the conditions are so not suited to runners.
D’Arcy
O’Driscoll
Going to be more than just a handful.
@McLovin (Comment 14) :
No Love Child???????????/
@McLovin (Comment 14) :
Kiwi at 12 to face the Kiwis. Good call.
As much as it pains me to admit it, we’ll be lacking way too much synergy to beat Ireland on Sat. Our midfield is looking very shaky…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 17) : Not good enough in SA and not yet good enough in Eng.
@McLovin (Comment 20) :
Don’t tell his “dad”
@McLovin (Comment 20) :
Won’t it be awesome if he gets picked at 12 against us and Francois Steyn plays 12 for us?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 22) : and Big Vic runs over poor Brad – Rob would have a paternal dilemma on his hands
@rekinek (Comment 23) :
I’d have to be forced to support Brad if that Happens.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 24) : he will need support so your new sixpaxk will definately help
@KSA Shark © (Comment 22) : …and Frans runs over him a few times.
@McLovin (Comment 26) :
Then I’d be vindicated for calling for Frans to play ahead of him in 2008 when they kept playing Brad ahead of Frans and frans was the incumbent Bok 12.
Damn, I am DOF!