Ireland's nine new caps bring fresh approach

Club international: The size of the task facing the home side in this AIB club international is manifest in the fact Scotland beat their Welsh counterparts 34-7, scoring five tries to one, a fortnight ago.

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Ireland haven't had a warm-up match and this season field a team with nine new caps from the team that lost the corresponding fixture to the Scots last season.

Cork Constitution wing Cronan Healy is a prolific try scorer at club level and along with Greystones David McKechnie and Clontarf's Max Rantz McDonald forms a potent back three. Eric Moloney has cut an impressive figure in the Dolphin midfield while backrows John Ed O'Connor and Hugh Hogan, both new caps, form an excellent backrow alongside Simon Crawford. Alan Maher has been part of every club international side since the first game in 2006.

Con's Brian Walsh takes the coaching reigns for the first time. IRELAND : D McKechnie (Greystones); C Healy (Cork Constitution), G Stafford (Lansdowne), E Moloney (Dolphin), M Rantz McDonald (Clontarf); B Keeshan (Dolphin), R Cushion (Old Belvedere); M Gatley (Highfield), D Varley (Garryowen), S Shawe (Ballymena); A Maher (Lansdowne), S O'Connor (Cork Constitution); S Crawford (Clontarf), J Ed O'Connor (UL Bohemian), H Hogan (St Mary's College). Replacements : D Murray (Cork Constitution), R Sweeney (St Mary's College), M O'Connell (Cork Constitution), P Malone (Garryowen), S Cronin (UCC), A Kinsley (Garryowen), A Finn (Shannon).

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times