Manager Donal Lenihan has revealed the identity of the 15 players who make up the Irish team for the game against England on Saturday. The team for the Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship opener shows four changes from the side knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina at Lens in France last October. Coach Warren Gatland has drafted in centre Mike Mullins, Peter Clohessy in the front row, Bob Casey at lock, and Anthony Foley at number eight. There are no new caps in the team but Mullins and Casey will be playing their first games in the Championship. Kevin Maggs has been moved from centre to left wing, at the expense of Matt Mostyn.
The uncapped players among the replacements are hooker Frank Sheahan and Peter Stringer, the reserve scrum-half. Gatland said, "The withdrawal of Ronan O'Gara and Jeremy Davidson because of injury, in a way, made our task easier, though naturally we regret the fact that they were not available for selection," he said.
Paddy Johns has had to withdraw from the Ireland 'A' team that faces England 'A' at Northampton on Friday. His place goes to Mick O'Driscoll of Cork Constitution, while Mark Blair, of Dungannon, comes in as a replacement. In the absence of Johns, the captaincy goes to hooker Shane Byrne, of Blackrock College.
Clive Woodward has now also picked his side for the senior game, contending without the injured Paul Grayson who withdrew yesterday. England will have two new caps for the game. Bath centre Mike Tindall and Northampton wing Ben Cohen, both 21 years of age, have been selected by Woodward after impressive Premiership campaigns. In the absence of Martin Johnson the team will be captained by Matt Dawson. Grayson and Jonny Wilkinson had been competing for the stand-off position after coach Clive Woodward used both players during the World Cup. Grayson's squad place is taken by Alex King of Wasps. Meanwhile, Wales named their team to play France in Cardiff yesterday. They are without Scott Gibbs, Craig Quinnell and Alan Bateman. Scott Quinnell will start at number 8.
This morning, new Scotland skipper John Leslie faced his first physical training session since being stretchered off with severed ligaments during the World Cup clash with South Africa in October. The Wellington-born player underwent an operation to rectify the problem and has since been confined to general fitness work only. Coach Ian McGeechan has given Leslie three days to prove he is ready to face Italy in the TSB Six Nations opener in Rome on Saturday. Yesterday, following a 30-hour flight from Auckland, Leslie played a full part in the team's light 90-minute session.
Ireland versus England:
C O'Shea (London Irish); J Bishop (London Irish), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock College), M Mullins (Young Munster), K Maggs (Bath); D Humphreys (Dungannon), T Tierney (Garryowen); P Clohessy (Young Munster), K Wood (Garryowen, capt), P Wallace (Saracens), R Casey (Blackrock College), M O'Kelly (St Mary's College), D O'Cuinneagain (Ballymena), K Dawson (London Irish), A Foley (Shannon).
Replacements: F Sheahan (Cork Constitution), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), M Galwey (Shannon), T Brennan (St Mary's College), P Stringer (Shannon), E Elwood (Galwegians), G Dempsey (Terenure College).
