Rugby - Six Nations:Ronan O'Gara will be back at the helm for Ireland when Italy visit Croke Park for the Six Nations opener on Saturday. The tournament's record points scorer was expected to face stiff competition for the place from Jonathan Sexton but the Leinster outhalf was ruled out of the matchday 22 with injury.
Nonetheless, Declan Kidney insists he still has the right personnel for the job, having drafted Paddy Wallace on to the bench as cover for the Munster man.
Wallace's provincial team-mate Andrew Trimble has been preferred to Keith Earls on the left wing and, as expected, Stephen Ferris misses out through injury, paving the way for Kevin McLaughlin to earn his first cap as his Leinster team-mate Seán O'Brien makes the bench.
Kidney wasted no time in addressing the Sexton issue when announcing his team this afternoon.
“In Jonathan’s case, he pulled up at the end of yesterday’s training," said the manager. "He had been having a bit of a dead leg for the last number of weeks so we felt it prudent to send him for a scan yesterday afternoon / evening. We got the results yesterday evening and he wasn’t available for selection.”
When quizzed on how it affected his plans, Kidney added: "I think in trying to build a squad you try not to get to a place where you have a preferred XV in the game of rugby because anybody at any stage can pick up a bang or a knock.
“We had quite a number of them last week but if you stop and wait for a guy to get back you’ll never move forward, so that’s part of the reason for building a squad, so that we can move forward.
“I think the lads that are playing deserve to be playing, they are playing very well. I think it’s the best team to play on Saturday."
The rest of the side is largely as expected. In the frontrow, Cian Healy gets the nod ahead of Marcus Horan, who is on Ireland A duty, while Jerry Flannery has edged out Rory Best for the hooker berth. John Hayes is named at tighthead.
The engine room, as it were, is predictably comprised of Munster locks Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan, while McLaughlin is joined in the backrow by number eight Jamie Heaslip and openside David Wallace.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll is back in tandem with Gordon D’Arcy in the centre and Rob Kearney is named at fullback.
McLaughlin joined his skipper and manager at the top table and insisted he was not going to change anything, despite the new surroundings.
“Obviously it’s a big step up for me this weekend. Every Irish player aspires to play for their country so it’s been a big couple of days for me but I’m going to treat it like any other game and just get on with it and play my game on Saturday. That’s the way I’m looking at it."
Asked whether the selection came as a surprise, he added: “Training went pretty well last week, I felt like I had a chance going into this week. I wasn’t trying to get my hopes up too much but I wasn’t exactly shocked when my name was called out either. I was pleased, very pleased."
In the Italy camp fullback Andrea Marcato was one of six players cut from the squad ahead of Saturday's Six Nations opener at Croke Park (2.30pm).
Marcato, who was first choice fullback during last year's tournament and has also played outhalf, missed the November tests through injury and has now been dropped despite number 10 Craig Gower struggling with a leg injury.
Italy head coach Nick Mallett named uncapped Riccardo Bocchino in his revised 24-man squad. The Rovigo outhalf avoided Mallett’s cull and will provide cover for Gower.
Forwards Antonio Pavanello, Simone Favaro and Manoa Vosawai have also been released from the squad to play for Italy A against England Saxons on Sunday along with centre Matteo Pratichetti and wing Michele Sepe.
Benetton Treviso’s Leonardo Ghiraldini will captain the Azzurri in the absence of Sergio Parisse.
Mallett will finalise his team on Thursday.
Ireland team (v Italy):Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll (capt), Gordon D'Arcy, Andrew Trimble; Ronan O'Gara, Tomás O'Leary; Cian Healy, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Kevin McLaughlin, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Rory Best, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Sean O'Brien, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Keith Earls.
Italy squad:
Forwards: Matias Aguero, Mauro Bergamasco, Marco Bortolami, Martin Castrogiovanni, Lorenzo Cittadini, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Paul Derbyshire, Quintin Geldenhuys, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fabio Ongaro, Salvatore Perugini, Josh Sole, Alessandro Zanni.
Backs:Mirco Bergamasco, Riccardo Bocchino, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Craig Gower, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Simon Picone, Kaine Robertson, Alberto Sgarbi, Tito Tebaldi.