Kidney names unchanged side for Italy

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Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named an unchanged starting side and replacements for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations Championship game against Italy in Rome.

Kidney has retained the side which registered Ireland's first victory over France for six years with Saturday's 30-21 triumph at Croke Park.

Paddy Wallace was thought to be under threat for the inside centre duties from Gordon D'Arcy but Kidney has opted against dropping the Ulster back.

D'Arcy marked his Test return from a broken arm which kept him out of the game for 10 months with the crucial final try against France after appearing as a substitute for Wallace.

Wallace left the pitch in the first half with blood streaming from an eye wound, which required stitches, but has been given the all-clear to face Italy. Munster hooker Jerry Flannery has recovered from the shoulder 'stinger' that cut short his match 10 minutes into the second half.

Kidney resisted calls to bring Keith Earls into the squad, or to accommodate Denis Leamy in the back-row.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll will earn his 90th cap on Sunday while prop John Hayes will equal the current Irish record of 91 appearances held by Malcolm O'Kelly, who is on the bench.

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The odds on Ireland winning their first championship since 1985 shortened significantly in response to their thrilling victory over France.

Italy were punished for an error-strewn display at Twickenham last weekend with an 36-11 defeat.

Ireland's last trip to Rome in 2007 saw them triumph 51-24 but it was a bittersweet experience as they conceded a try on the stroke of full-time that effectively handed France the championship on points difference. Ireland could only win 16-11 against Italy at Croke Park last year.

The Ireland A team to play Scotland A this Friday night in the RDS has also been named. It shows two changes to the squad that was due to play England Saxons in the recently cancelled game.

Donnacha Ryan starts at blindside flanker instead of Neil Best, with Ulster’s Ed O’Donoghue coming into the replacements. Ulster scrum-half Isaac Boss has recovered from illness and is also named in the replacements instead of Chris Keane. Wasps' Eoin Reddan will start in the number nine jersey.

The side will again be captained by Bob Casey.

IRELAND team to play Italy in the RBS 6 Nations at Stadio Flaminio on Sunday, February 15:

R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), P Wallace (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster); R O'Gara (Munster), T O'Leary (Munster); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: R Best (Ulster), T Court (Ulster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), G D'Arcy (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester).

Ireland 'A'' team to play Scotland 'A' at the RDS on Friday, February 13 (7.35pm):

Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Andrew Trimble ( Ulster), Darren Cave (Ulster), Keith Matthews (Connacht), Mark McCrea ( Ulster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (London Wasps); Cian Healy ( Leinster), Sean Cronin (Connacht), Mike Ross (Harlequins), Bob Casey (London Irish - capt), Ryan Caldwell (Ulster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), John Muldoon (Connacht)

Replacements: John Fogarty (Leinster); John Andress (Exeter); Ed O'Donoghue (Ulster); Sean O'Brien (Leinster); Isaac Boss (Ulster); Ian Humphreys; Barry Murphy (Munster)