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Tuesday, 16 March 2010

D'Arcy named in unchanged line-up

Gordon D'arcy is set to retain his spot as inside centre, pending the results of a fitness test

Ireland have named an unchanged side for a second successive week as they close in on their fifth Triple Crown in seven seasons.

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Head coach Declan Kidney has opted against adjusting his 22 for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland in what will be the team's Croke Park farewell.

Gordon D'Arcy is retained at inside centre pending a fitness test on the heavy bruising above his left knee sustained during the weekend's victory over Wales.

If D'Arcy fails to recover in time, Paddy Wallace will be promoted from outside the squad to the vacant number 12 jersey.

D'Arcy's selection enables Geordan Murphy to continue at full-back with Rob Kearney having to settle for a place among the substitutes once again.

Winger Keith Earls, who scored two tries against the Welsh, and flanker David Wallace are included despite sustaining calf and eye problems on Saturday.

Loosehead prop Cian Healy has also been given the green light after overcoming a bruised shoulder.

Ireland are heavy favourites to complete the Triple Crown but retain little hope of successfully defending their title.

They need England to wreck France's Grand Slam party in Paris on Saturday while hoping that both themselves and Martin Johnson's side make heavy inroads into the Les Bleus' vastly superior points difference of plus 50.

Declan Kidney has said it would be "huge" to mark the end of Ireland's residency at Croke Park by claiming the Triple Crown.

"To me the Triple Crown is huge because in the past I've seen teams that have failed to fulfil themselves," said the head coach.

"Coming into the job, people were saying this team is getting old. I thought that if we could be involved in winning anything it would be brilliant.

"It's a romantic ending that couldn't be orchestrated - our last match at Croke Park with a Triple Crown to be won."

Scotland, meanwhile, are battling to avoid the wooden spoon as defeat in the final rugby international to be played at Croke Park would leave them bottom of the table.

Ireland team to play Scotland on Saturday 20 March (kick-off at 5pm):

G Murphy (Leicester); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster); T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Buckley (Munster), L Cullen (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O'Gara (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster).