Deane to play a central role

Sale's Mel Deane comes into the Irish line-up at inside centre to partner Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll for the touring side's opening game against a Kiwi divisional selection in New Zealand on Saturday morning.

Deane is the only uncapped player selected for the team following a late call-up from Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan after Leinster's Shane Horgan was ruled out of the tour through injury.

The decision adds some maturity to the Irish back line and rewards a highly successful season for the 27-year-old, who made 17 appearances for the Zurich Premiership runners-up this season.

Once again Lions and Harlequins hooker Keith Wood leads the side from the front row where Leinster captain Reggie Corrigan is given the opportunity to fill the loosehead prop vacancy left by Peter Clohessy. The Munster prop retired from international rugby at the end of the domestic season.

In the second row O'Sullivan has gone for a blend of youth and experience with Ballymena and Ulster's Gary Longwell partnering Paul O'Connell. Ireland's problematic lineout may also have been on O'Sullivan's mind, although his decision was made considerably easier due to the unavailability of Leinster's Malcolm O'Kelly, who is sidelined with a shin injury.

The back row is dominated by this season's All-Ireland League champions, Shannon, where blindside Alan Quinlan and number eight Anthony Foley join Leinster's openside flanker Keith Gleeson.

Ulster's Tyrone Howe comes in on the wing to replace the injured Denis Hickie, who did not travel with the squad. London Irish's Justin Bishop fills the other wing position.

David Humphreys is preferred to Ronan O'Gara at outhalf with Llanelli's Guy Easterby starting at scrumhalf.

The warm-up match, for which no Irish replacements have yet been named, takes place at Timirau (6.50 a.m. Irish time) with two subsequent matches scheduled against New Zealand on June 15th in Dunedin and June 22nd in Auckland.

Meanwhile, All Blacks coach John Mitchell has followed what his Wallaby counterpart Eddie Jones did last year by naming two vice-captains - hooker Tom Willis and midfielder Daryl Gibson - for New Zealand's Test against Italy in Hamilton, also on Saturday.

IRELAND (v Divisional XV): G Dempsey (Leinster); J Bishop (London Irish), B O'Driscoll (Leinster), M Deane (Sale), T Howe (Ulster); D Humphreys (Ulster), G Easterby (Llanelli); R Corrigan (Leinster), K Wood (Harlequins, capt.), J Hayes (Munster), G Longwell (Ulster), P O'Connell (Munster), A Quinlan (Munster), K Gleeson (St Mary's), A Foley (Munster)