KEITH EARLS HAS been named at outside centre for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales, replacing the injured Brian O’Driscoll in the number 13 jersey.
There were few surprises in Declan Kidney’s starting XV which sees just two personnel changes from the side which lost in the World Cup quarter-finals last October.
Jonny Sexton comes in to replace Ronan O’Gara at out-half, while Earls’ switch to the centre sees Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble named on the wings.
In the second row, Donncha O’Callaghan is preferred to provincial team-mate Donnacha Ryan, who has kept him out of the Munster set-up in recent weeks.
Another Munster man, the uncapped back-row Peter O’Mahony, is named among the replacements for the first time.
Ireland (vs Wales): R Kearney; Bowe, Earls, D’Arcy, Trimble; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Ross; O’Callaghan, O’Connell; Ferris, O’Brien, Heaslip. Replacements: Cronin, Court, Ryan, O’Mahony, Reddan, O’Gara, McFadden.
