British & Irish team mates Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy will play together in the centre for Ireland for a world record 48th time when they face Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.
O’Driscoll returns to the Irish line-up after missing the autumn Tests for a game that could be the launch-pad for a forth tour with the Lions this summer. Also returning after injury is another 2009 Test Lion, Rob Kearney at full back and Leinster’s back row dynamo Sean O’Brien.
Declan Kidney has given Ulster wing Craig Gilroy a first championship start in tandem with Munster’s Heineken Cup hat-trick hero Simon Zebo, while locks Donnacha Ryan and Mike McCathy will pack down together for the first time in the 6 Nations.
Jamie Heaslip will get his first taste of captaincy in the championship when he leads the side out at the Millennium Stadium. Opposite him, in the red corner, will be Wales back rower Sam Warburton as the fight for the Lions captaincy hots up.
Ireland
15 Rob Kearney (Leinster)
14 Craig Gilroy (Ulster)
13 Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
12 Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster)
11 Simon Zebo (Munster)
10 Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
9 Conor Murray (Munster)
1 Cian Healy (Leinster)
2 Rory Best (Ulster)
3 Mike Ross (Leinster)
4 Mike McCarthy (Connacht)
5 Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
6 Peter O'Mahony (Munster)
7 Sean O'Brien (Leinster)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) captain
Replacements
16 Sean Cronin (Leinster)
17 David Kilcoyne (Munster)
18 Declan Fitzpatrick (Ulster)
19 Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster)
20 Chris Henry (Ulster)
21 Eoin Reddan (Leinster)
22 Ronan O'Gara (Munster)
23 Keith Earls (Munster)
