Thomas fit for Wales bench

Six Nations:Jonathan Thomas has been passed fit to take his place on the Wales bench for tomorrow's Six Nations clash against Ireland in Cardiff.

Thomas come through a fitness test on the dead leg he suffered while on Magners League duty for the Ospreys last weekend.

And with Scarlets backrow forward Rob McCusker also confirmed among the replacements, it means that Wasps number eight Andy Powell misses out.

Wales coach Warren Gatland would have gone with McCusker and Powell had Thomas not recovered from injury in time.

Thomas, McCusker. Richard Hibbard and John Yapp will provide forward cover on the bench, with the back division replacements previously confirmed as Dwayne Peel, Stephen Jones and Morgan Stoddart.

Wales: L Byrne (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), S Williams (Ospreys); J Hook (Ospreys), M Phillips (Ospreys); P James (Ospreys), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), C Mitchell (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys). Replacements: R Hibbard (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), D Peel (Sale Sharks), S Jones (Scarlets), M Stoddart (Scarlets), R McCusker (Scarlets), J Thomas (Ospreys).

Ireland: L Fitzgerald (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Wallace (Ulster).