Toner retains place for Aussie test

Meath’s Devin Toner will get another chance to impress new coach Joe Schmidt as he retained his place on the Ireland team that will take on Australia in the Aviva on Saturday evening.
After impressing in the 40-9 win over Samoa last weekend, Toner keeps his second row spot as Schmidt makes six xhanges to the team for the clash with the Wallabies.

Mike McCarthy makes way from the second row and will be replaced by Paul O’Connell who will take over team captaincy from number eight Jamie Heaslip.

Schmidt has made six changes to his starting team to face Australia including two surprise selections that see Eoin Reddan and Luke Marshall elevated to the starting 15.

Cian Healy, O’Connell and Sean O’Brien and Jonathan Sexton are all reinstated to the team after not starting against Samoa. O’Brien replaces Chris Henry, a concussion victim last week, and slots in alongside Peter O’Mahony and Heaslip in the back-row.

Healy replaces last weekend’s man-of-the-match Jack McGrath. Rory Best and Mike Ross will complete the front row.

The decisions to replace scrum-half Conor Murray and inside-centre Gordon D’Arcy with Reddan and Marshall respectively will cause the most debate ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

Murray drops to the bench, while D’Arcy drops out of the squad with Ian Madigan and Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw set to provide cover for the outside backs.

Jackson and Dave Kearney, who scored two tries last week, miss out on bench places.

The back three is the only unchanged unit in the squad with Fergus McFadden, Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney all retaining their places for the clash with Australia.

The forward replacements have also been reshaped. Sean Cronin retains his place as sub hooker, while McCarthy drops out of the starting 15 to the bench. Munster tighthead Stephen Archer and Leinster back-rower Kevin McLaughlin have also earned places among the replacements.

The selection means 11 of the 15 players who started against Australia when Ireland won the 2011 Rugby World Cup pool encounter between the two will start this game.

Ireland - Healy, Best, Ross, O’Connell, Toner, O’Mahony, O’Brien, Heaslip, Reddan, Sexton, McFadden, Marshall, O’Driscoll, Bowe, Kearney.

 

Fergal Lynch