Ireland team

[Ardglass2]

15 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements (from):

16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Court out injured

[ColinM]

I think the bench would look better with Paddy on it than Ronan.

[cables]

That was to be announced live from the team hotel at 1:30 pm today.

[mikerob]

Looks like the IRFU website man has jumped the gun again. (Edit: It seems the IRFU website put the page up but don't link to it until the official announcment but someone on lf.com figured out how to find the page )

http://www.irishrugby.ie/10735_19806.php

23 February 2010, 9:36 am
By Editor
John Hayes will win his 100th cap for Ireland on Saturday and there are four changes to the starting Ireland team that will play England this weekend in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, two in the forwards and two in the backline.

Geordan Murphy returns to the Ireland team at full back after missing the November internationals due to injury. He lined out for Leicester last weekend and comes into the side for the injured Rob Kearney. Jonathan Sexton will start the game at outhalf.
In the forwards, prop John Hayes will win his 100th cap for Ireland as part of a front row that sees Rory Best come into the team in place of Jerry Flannery. Hayes is the first Irish player to reach 100 test caps for his country and he joins an illustrious list of players worldwide who have attained such a milestone.

The final change to the starting team is Donncha O'Callaghan, who returns to the side for the first time since the game against South Africa in November to play in the second row alongside Paul O'Connell.

Sean Cronin joins the match 22 for the first time in an RBS 6 Nations Championship game in the replacments as back up hooker. Tony Buckley, Shane Jennings and Andrew Trimble all come in to the replacements.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v England, RBS 6 Nations Championship, Twickenham, Saturday, February 27, kick-off 4.00pm):

15 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements (from):

16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

[Jackie Brown]

weird Tomas keeps his place. he was worse than his outhalf partner against the french. Bizarre decision by Deccy

[ulsterrugby4life]

That was to be announced live from the team hotel at 1:30 pm today.

thats wat i thought hmmmm!!!!! but then again im nopt suprised after the last shambles of them trying to get a live feed done!!!

[fuzzylogic]

Jees calm down you lot. The official team announcement at 1:30 is just a televised press conference, why get your knickers in a twist that your able to read the team before it!

[mikerob]

England team. Unchanged starting 15. On the bench Worsley, Foden and Mears in for S Armitage, Mullan and Thompson.

15 Delon Armitage London Irish
14 Mark Cueto Sale Sharks
13 Matthew Tait Sale Sharks
12 Riki Flutey Brive
11 Ugo Monye Harlequins
10 Jonny Wilkinson Toulon
9 Danny Care Harlequins
1 Tim Payne London Wasps
2 Dylan Hartley Northampton
3 Dan Cole Leicester Tigers
4 Simon Shaw London Wasps
5 Steve Borthwick (C) Saracens
6 James Haskell Stade Francais
7 Lewis Moody Leicester Tigers
8 Nick Easter Harlequins
Replacements
Player Club
16 Lee Mears Bath Rugby
17 David Wilson Bath Rugby
18 Louis Deacon Leicester Tigers
19 Joe Worsley London Wasps
20 Paul Hodgson London Irish
21 Toby Flood Leicester Tigers
22 Ben Foden Northampton

[Jackie Brown]

Danny care will show O'Leary a thing or two.

[Ulster throw in]

Disappointed for Trimble that he is benched so that Earls can stay on the wing. As for O'Leary his service to ROG last week was simply awful, at one stage I thought I had hit pause on my Sky HD+ box he was that slow!

[fermain]

http://www.irishrugby.ie/tvlive now

[Ulster throw in]

Well now wasnt that exciting...

[shamalicious]

Expect Paddy will be feeling very hard done by; by the sounds of it he had a good game on Friday and hasn't done anything to merit being dropped. Suppose it's more a case of there just not being any room for him with ROG on the bench.

[Bart S]

Disappointed for Trimble that he is benched so that Earls can stay on the wing.

Earls was the man in possesion going into the 6 N's and has done nothing wrong on the wing, so I'd say that's a fair call by DK.

Trimble did fine in his game, but not enough to displace the man previously in possession (ie Earls).

[Ulster throw in]

Disappointed for Trimble that he is benched so that Earls can stay on the wing.

Earls was the man in possesion going into the 6 N's and has done nothing wrong on the wing, so I'd say that's a fair call by DK.

Trimble did fine in his game, but not enough to displace the man previously in possession (ie Earls).

Sorry we must be watching different games. Earls was knocked about like a wee school girl against france. We will see how he gets on against the English but my thoughts are that he is out of his depth at 6N level.