Kidney has faith in his front row

Ireland coach Declan Kidney expects his front row to be ready for Sunday's Test against Australia despite their recent inactivity.

Long-serving prop John Hayes has spent the last five weeks completing a five-match suspension imposed for stamping and has not played for Munster since the start of October.

And his provincial colleague Jerry Flannery, who will face the Wallabies at Croke Park after recovering from a calf problem, has seen his game time this season severely limited by injury.'

'You can either moan about it or get on with it. If you spend the present thinking about the past the future passes you by,' said Kidney.

'If you wait for the ideal in this job it will never happen. John and Jerry are looking forward to the game and that's the important thing.'

In an ironic twist, Hayes will be asked to put a reassuring arm around the player he left bloodied in Munster's 30-0 drubbing by Leinster on 3 October.

Hayes was shown a red card for his assault on 22-year-old Cian Healy, who will be making his Test debut after regular loosehead Marcus Horan was ruled out with an unspecified condition until January.

'One of the great ironies of sporting life is that John took a sabbatical for a few weeks and now he's in to mind Cian!' said Ireland's head coach Kidney.

'Cian has looked good all season. I wish Marcus well but the two of them would have been battling for the position.

'Marcus' injury made the decision easier but Cian had been playing well and merits selection in his own right.'

Ulster's Paddy Wallace is preferred ahead of Gordon D'Arcy at inside centre while there are two uncapped players on the bench in Connacht hooker Sean Cronin and Leinster out-half Jonathan Sexton.

'You don't like leaving a fella like Gordon out,' said Kidney. 'It's a big call to leave a players of his ability out of the 22. I never like doing it, but this was the call that stands out for me in this team selection."

In total there are only two changes to the side that clinched the Grand Slam with a 17-15 victory over Wales in March with Healy replacing Horan and Wallace coming in for D'Arcy.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll will make his 100th Test appearance on Sunday having accumulated 93 caps for Ireland and six for the Lions.