| O’Sullivan Sticks With Players
By Cathal Dervan
Young Ulster center Andrew Trimble is the only change to the Irish rugby
team as Eddie O’Sullivan stands by the men who were walloped by New
Zealand last weekend for Saturday’s Lansdowne Road test against Australia.
Trimble comes in to partner Gordon D’Arcy, with Shane Horgan moved
to the wing and Anthony Horgan dropped from the 22 man squad.
O’Sullivan wants to give the players hammered by the All-Blacks a
second chance. “The area I could have tinkered with was the pack.
Our set-piece was good against New Zealand. We lost just one line-out but
then got it back,” he said.
“And our scrum was solid. But we had a total of 16 set-pieces and
they had 32, so they had twice as much ball as we did. That’s a problem
you can’t do much about.
“The back row played very well. Denis Leamy had an exceptional game
at number eight — the New Zealand management thought he was outstanding.
“As a unit this backline is our best shot. Andrew will bring something
different to the midfield and we’ve retained Shane Horgan, who is
also good with the ball, in the side.”
Ireland team to face Australia at Lansdowne Road on Saturday is:
G. Murphy (Leicester); S. Horgan (Leinster), A. Trimble (Ulster), G. D’Arcy
(Leinster), T. Bowe (Ulster); R. O’Gara (Munster), P. Stringer (Munster);
M. Horan (Munster), S. Byrne (Saracens), J. Hayes (Munster), D. O’Callaghan
(Munster), M. O’Kelly (Leinster), S. Easterby (Llanelli, captain),
J. O’Connor (Wasps), D. Leamy (Munster).
Replacements: R. Best (Ulster), S. Best (Ulster), M. McCullough (Ulster),
N. Best (Ulster), K. Campbell (Ulster), D. Humphreys (Ulster), G. Dempsey
(Leinster).
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