Kearney ends up in preferred place at 15

SO MUCH for the great Girvan Dempsey v Geordan Murphy debate. In the event, Eddie O'Sullivan was yesterday spared a difficult choice when both of Ireland's established fullbacks were ruled out of tomorrow's RBS Six Nations game against Wales at Croke Park. Instead, after four outings on the wing, Rob Kearney will wear the Irish number 15 jersey for the first time.

The ensuing ripple effect sees Tommy Bowe shift across to left wing, with Shane Horgan recalled on the right wing and Luke Fitzgerald promoted to the bench.

Undoubtedly, this will be a bigger ask of Kearney given fullback is generally a more influential and demanding position than wing, and the Wales outhalf Stephen Jones is sure to test him early on in the air.

Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly help that he has been bedded into the international environment since making his debut on the wing in last summer's second Test in Argentina, coming on as a first-half replacement against Italy and making another couple of full outings on the left wing against France and Scotland.

Kearney's preference is for his more established position of full-back, even if he has been limited to just half a dozen outings there this season - in Leinster's first three games of the season and in another run of three matches from the end of November.

A level-headed, bright, self-confident young lad, save for two or three costly and high-profile mistakes earlier this season, Kearney has come on significantly this season, as he's matured physically and in his defensive work.

Brian O'Driscoll had speculated on this eventuality earlier in the week and had exuded confidence in his young team-mate.

"I think Rob has matured massively over the last year as a player. Perhaps he wouldn't mind me saying he was prone to the occasional error earlier on in his career but I think he's become a very secure sort of player.

"I think he's been very good since he's been given his opportunity on the wing and I know that his favourite position is fullback so if he's given that opportunity I would think he would take it with both hands.

"I suppose in that position at the moment we've got an embarrassment of riches with Lukey in place to step in as well if need be. It's not something that concerns me massively. Kearns is a smart enough footballer.

"It's a very different position, wing and fullback . . . but Kearns has played there plenty of times for Leinster and I'm sure he sees himself in future years as playing more regularly for Ireland as a fullback. I certainly don't have any fears for him switching across."

The winds of change have suddenly started to blow through a long-established group of "untouchables", for though Horgan is recalled he missed the Welsh game last year when Ireland won 19-9 in Cardiff.

Thus, only O'Driscoll, Andrew Trimble and Ronan O'Gara survive of that back line, although seven of the pack do in light of recalls for Rory Best and Paul O'Connell.

Save for one-off summer tour outings for Gavin Duffy against Argentina last year and Mark McHugh in 2003, Murphy or Dempsey have held the number 15 jersey for almost seven years, and the last time Ireland went into a competitive match without either of them at 15 was the Six Nations opener against England in 2000.

Possession being nine points of the law, if Kearney goes well tomorrow and Dempsey and Murphy recover from their hip and Achilles injuries, it will make next week's selection for the game against England at Twickenham even more interesting.

REVISED IRELAND TEAM: R Kearney (Leinster); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), A Trimble ( Ulster), T Bowe (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps); M Horan (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster); D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster); D Leamy (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: B Jackman (Leinster), T Buckley (Munster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), P Stringer (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster).