Three new caps in Ireland line-up

Ireland have brought in three new caps for today's first Test against Australia. Kerry goalkeeper Declan O'Keeffe, Meath's Trevor Giles and Dessie Dolan of Westmeath will all be making a start for the first time in the international series.

Giles would have played last year but for injury. The four members of the Irish panel left out of the team and the inter-change bench are the unavailable Graham Geraghty, Ciaran McManus, James Horan and John Quane. All four are first-time call-ups to the international panel.

For their part Australia have named a team with far fewer experienced players. Of last year's panel, only seven remain and six will start this evening - goalkeeper Stephen Silvagni, corner backs Shane Crawford and Ben Hart, wing back Rohan Smith, centrefield and captain Nathan Buckley and wing forward Scott Camporeale.

Full back Trent Croad is only 19 and promising. At the other end of the pitch, Clive Waterhouse starts at full forward. An erratic talent, he will be replaced by one of the more towering players, maybe centre forward Matthew Richardson.

Corner back Shane Crawford is on something of a mission this year. Having got a roasting from Irish vice-captain Peter Canavan in the second Test last year, Crawford is determined to atone this time around.

He will start with a slight disadvantage in that he has missed a lot of the preparatory training.

IRELAND: Declan O'Keeffe (Kerry); Seamus Moynihan (Kerry), Darren Fay (Meath), Sean M Lockhart (Derry); Finbar Cullen (Offaly), Glen Ryan (Kildare), Sean de Paor (Galway); John McDermott (Meath), captain), Niall Buckley (Kildare); Trevor Giles (Meath), Jarlath Fallon (Galway), Michael Donnellan (Galway); Peter Canavan (Tyrone), Anthony Tohill (Derry), Dessie Dolan (Westmeath).

Inter-change: James Nallen (Mayo), Ciaran O'Sullivan (Cork), Ciaran Whelan (Dublin), Derry Foley (Tipperary), Dermot Earley (Kildare), Joe Kavanagh (Cork), Brian Stynes (Dublin).

AUSTRALIA: Stephen Silvagni; Shane Crawford, Trent Croad, Ben Hart; Andrew McKay, Justin Leppitsch, Rohan Smith; Matthew Allen, Nathan Buckley (captain); Peter Bell, Matthew Richardson, Scott Camporeale; Ben Cousins, Clive Waterhouse, Michael O'Loughlin.

Inter-change: to be announced.